ISLAMABAD – Pakistan, Afghanistan and China have reaffirmed theircommitment to further strengthening their relations, deepening cooperationand advancing connectivity under the Belt and Road Initiative, RegionalEconomic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan and other regional economicinitiatives.
A joint declaration issued after the trilateral dialogue between the threecountries in Kabul on Saturday, they agreed to promoteChina-Afghanistan-Pakistan trilateral cooperation under the framework ofjointly building the Belt and Road Initiative.
The three sides reiterated their strong resolve to fight terrorism in allits forms and manifestations, and without any distinction. The threeForeign Ministers agreed to jointly continue their efforts for buildingpolitical mutual trust and support reconciliation, development cooperationand connectivity, security cooperation and counter-terrorism as the threeareas of the trilateral cooperation.
The three sides reaffirmed their support to the Afghan-owned, and Afghanled inclusive peace process that is fully supported regionally andinternationally.
In this regard, China and Pakistan appreciated the efforts of PresidentAshraf Ghani especially for the comprehensive peace plans that came out ofthe second Kabul Process and the Geneva Conferences on Afghanistan, andtherefore called on the Afghan Taliban to join the peace process at anearly date. While efforts are underway to start the peace process, thethree sides called upon the parties concerned to end violence and the lossof innocent lives in Afghanistan.
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They agreed to continue economic development cooperation in areas of mutualinterest. The three sides will continue to implement and expand the “soft”projects such as exchange and capacity building programs, and explore”hard” projects of livelihood facilities and connectivity. China expressedits readiness to support Afghanistan and Pakistan in building immigrationreception center and drinking water supply schemes at each side of theGhulam Khan Khel crossing point, and to explore cold storages at Chaman andSpin Boldak. China supports enhanced coordination between Afghanistan andPakistan on major energy and connectivity projects including theconstruction of Quetta-Kandahar railway and Kabul-Peshawar Motorway andRailway.
The three sides expressed their strong determination not to allow anycountry, organization or individual to use their respective territories forterrorist activities against any other countries. The three sides tookstock of trilateral cooperation in their fight against terrorism andunderlined the need to further strengthen counter-terrorism coordinationand cooperation in an effort to combat all terrorist groups and individualswithout any discrimination. They also agreed to counter terrorist’logistical capabilities, deny terrorist use of the internet and to takejoint steps for deradicalization, as well as work together to break thenexus between narco-trade and terror financing. The three sides agreed thatthe 3rd Afghanistan-China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue would beheld in Islamabad next year.
