ISLAMABAD: Pakistani, Afghan and Chinese diplomats are in Beijing for aseries of meetings that will also review preparations for the secondtrilateral meeting of the foreign ministers.
Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua represented the country in the TrilateralStrategic Dialogue on Monday, the Foreign Office spokesman Dr MohammadFaisal said.
Chinese and Afghan delegations were led by vice Foreign Minister Kong XuanYou and Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Karzai.
Foreign Secretary, Tehmina Janjua also attended the SCO- AfghanistanContact Group Meeting in Beijing.
The SCO groups China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, India, Russia, Tajikistan,Uzbekistan and Pakistan.
In her statement, Tehmina Janjua reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment tocontinued efforts for promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan, theforeign office spokesman said on his Twitter.
The Foreign Secretary also underlined ongoing initiatives of Pakistan forengagement with Afghanistan in all areas including peace and stability andpromoting economic cooperation and connectivity.
She highlighted the measures taken by Pakistan to enhance bilateral trade,transit, people-to-people exchanges and to deepen connectivity betweenPakistan and Afghanistan.
The Afghan, Chinese and Pakistani diplomats also reviewed preparations forthe second trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers which will be heldin Kabul this year.
The first trilateral FMs meeting was held in Beijing in December, monthsafter China brokered the three-party forum when Chinese Foreign MinisterWang Yi traveled to Kabul and Islamabad in June last year when relationsbetween Pakistan and Afghanistan had been under pressure after a massivetruck bomb killed nearly 150 people in Kabul in late May.
The trilateral mechanism mainly focuses on three key areas – strategic andsecurity issues, counter-terrorism and security and economic developmentand connectivity, the official said.
China is also planned to host the Shanghai Cooperation Organization contactgroup’s meeting on Afghanistan next month on the sideline of the SCO summit.
The SCO revived the Afghan contact group last year to play active role forpeace and stability in Afghanistan as the member countries are concerned ofthe continuation of war in Afghanistan.
The first meeting of the contact group was held in Moscow last yearfollowing its revival so the SCO could play active role in politicalsolution to the Afghan conflict.
A Pakistani official said China, being the SCO’s current chair, is nowplaying active role for the peace and stability in Afghanistan. Being amajor stakeholder and now a member, Pakistan will also share its input inthe SCO about Afghanistan.