ISLAMABAD: Representatives of Pakistan, China, Russia and Iran held a virtual meeting and discussed the Afghan issue and issued a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to Afghan peace.
The spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Zhao Lijian said at a regular news briefing that Special Envoy on Afghan affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Liu Jian, Russian Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov, Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan Mohammad Ebrahim Taherian, and Additional Secretary of the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan Safdar Hayat held a video conference on May 18 and had an in-depth exchange of views on the current situation in Afghanistan and the peace and reconciliation process.
The meeting was hosted by the Russian side. The four parties issued a joint statement afterwards.
The joint statement welcomes the signing of the political agreement by the two major Afghan political leaders and calls on all parties in Afghanistan to seize the opportunity to launch intra-Afghan talks and realise comprehensive and sustainable peace at an early date.
It called on foreign troops to withdraw in an orderly and responsible manner to ensure a smooth transition. It expressed hope that relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions would be observed and implemented, and urged all parties in Afghanistan to resolutely combat international terrorist organisations. It reaffirmed support for Afghanistan in the fight against COVID-19.
At present, the situation in Afghanistan is at a critical stage. China said that as Afghanistan’s traditional friendly neighbour, it respects the Afghan people’s independent decision on their own future and development path, and would do its best to support Afghanistan’s peaceful reconstruction.
The spokesperson said that China firmly supports the “Afghan-led and Afghan-owned” peace and reconciliation process and hopes that intra-Afghan talks will start and yield positive results at an early date.
“China will continue strengthening communication and coordination with relevant parties in Afghanistan and making constructive efforts with the international community for the political settlement of the Afghan issue,” the spokesperson added.
