Chinese, Afghan FMs arrive in Islamabad today

Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi will arrive here on Friday (today) on a four-day visit to Pakistan to participate in the 5th China-Pakistan-Afghanistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.

Muttaqi will lead a high-level delegation, including Acting Afghan Minister for Commerce and Industry Haji Nooruddin Azizi, and senior officials from the Afghan ministries of foreign affairs, transport, and trade, the Foreign Office added.

“The visit of the Acting Afghan Foreign Minister is a continuation of Pakistan’s political engagement process with Afghanistan,” the Foreign Office said. It added that Pakistan was committed to pursue practical engagement with the Afghan government.

Also read: Chinese FM to visit Pakistan for trilateral Afghan dialogue

The 5th China-Pakistan-Afghanistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue will be held on May 6. The Foreign Office said that Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang will also participate in the meeting.

During Muttaqi’s visit, the two sides would also “review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations in the political, economic, trade, connectivity, peace and security, and education domains”, according to the Foreign Office statement.

Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Mao Ning, confirmed that Foreign Minister Qin would visit Pakistan on May 5 to 6 and attend the three-way dialogue on Afghanistan.

Mao said that it would be Qin’s first visit to Pakistan as the country’s foreign minister. “The visit of Qin Gang is also an important part of the recent intensive interaction between China and Pakistan,” she said.

During the visit, Foreign Minister Qin would meet with the leaders of Pakistan, and co-chair the fourth strategic dialogue between the foreign ministers of China and Pakistan with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

"Qin Gang will conduct face-to-face and in-depth communication on the relations between the two countries and the international and regional situation," she added. “China looks forward to exchanging views with Afghanistan and Pakistan on the situation and trilateral cooperation through this [trilateral] dialogue,” she added.

(With additional input from APP)