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Pakistan reaffirms commitment to a ‘stable’ Afghanistan in quadrilateral meeting with Russia, Iran, and China

Pakistan on Tuesday, along with China, Russia, and Iran, reaffirmed its commitment to a “stable and peaceful” Afghanistan, while also voicing concern over the “presence of terrorists” in the country at a quadrilateral meeting held in Moscow.

The development comes against the backdrop of the 7th meeting of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan, where countries including India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are set to participate to discuss matters related to Afghanistan, as per the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website.

The meeting will be held later today.

In a post on X, Pakistan’s special envoy to Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq Khan, who is currently in Russia, detailed the discussions that took place during the quadilateral meeting, saying, “The participating states unanimously reaffirmed their steadfast commitment to a stable, sovereign, and peaceful Afghanistan, underscoring the necessity of a country free from the scourge of terrorism and external intervention.”

Voicing their concerns over the terrorist groups present in Afghanistan, the envoy went on to say that the participating countries agreed on “enhanced coordination and collaborative action” to fight against terrorism in the region.

Separately, Khan, in different meetings with his Chinese and Iranian counterparts, discussed regional security, counterterrorism cooperation, as well as humanitarian concerns in Afghanistan.

With his Iranian counterpart Muhammad Reza Bahrami, Khan held “ in-depth discussions on the latest developments in Afghanistan“, particularly terrorism, as per a statement posted on his X.

“Both sides emphasised the importance of continued dialogue and coordination to address common challenges,” he added.

Meanwhile, in a meeting with China’s Yue Xiaoyong, both countries underscored the “importance of a coordinated approach to promote lasting peace and stability in the region,” as per a statement posted on his X.

“The meeting underscored the strong partnership between Pakistan and China in addressing shared challenges and advancing regional development,” he added.

The envoy also held discussions with his Russian counterpart, Zamir Kabulov, focusing on measures to promote regional cooperation in Afghanistan.

Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan

At today’s meeting, Afghanistan will be represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi, who left for Moscow on Monday.

The deputy spokesperson for the Afghan foreign minister, Hafiz Zia Takkal, said in a statement that “this marks the first time the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s foreign minister is participating in the Moscow Format as an official member.”

In July, Russia became the first country to formally recognise the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

According to Takkal, Afghan FM Muttaqi is “expected to present Afghanistan’s position on enhancing relations between Afghanistan & the broader region.”

Muttaqi is also expected to hold a separate meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the event, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.

Their discussions will focus on current issues of bilateral cooperation, she said, adding that the meeting will be held behind closed doors.

“Priority will be given to promoting Afghan national reconciliation and expanding practical cooperation between regional states and Kabul in the political, economic, counter-terrorism, and anti-drug fields,“ she said.

In previous meetings, the Moscow Format Consultations have urged the Afghan government to take “viable and verifiable actions in fulfilling the international obligations and commitments made by Afghanistan to fight terrorism, dismantle and eliminate all terrorist groups equally and non-discriminatory and prevent the use of Afghan territory against its neighbours”.

Pakistan is an active member of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan. It has been a part of the format since 2016, when it first began.



from Dawn - Home https://ift.tt/FqOrReo
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