In order to promote trilateral cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and jointly expand the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan have reiterated their commitment to this goal.
The three parties expressed their determination to take use of Afghanistan’s potential as a hub for regional connectivity in a joint statement following the trilateral conversation.
Participating on behalf of their respective nations were Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari of Pakistan, State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang of China, and Acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi of Afghanistan.
The three foreign ministers stressed the importance of current initiatives like CASA-1000, TAPI, and Trans-Afghan Railways at the conference, emphasising their potential to improve regional connectivity and foster economic growth and prosperity in the area.
The three parties stressed the necessity of advancing both “soft connectivity” in norms and standards and “hard connectivity” in infrastructure.
They decided to look into ways to make it easier for people to travel and conduct business. Additionally, they chose to increase transit traffic through the Gwadar Port.
The region would benefit most from Afghanistan being peaceful, stable, and rich, the foreign ministers agreed. They stressed the crucial part that trilateral collaboration plays in advancing this goal.
The three parties decided to further their mutual respect, equal footing in consultation, and mutual benefit in order to deepen and broaden their collaboration in the areas of security, development, and politics.
The three parties emphasised the significance of solving security issues that directly affect the stability and economic development of the entire area and pose a serious threat to regional and global security. They decided to work together on security issues, such as organised crime, drug trafficking, and others.
They urged global cooperation on a bilateral and multilateral level, as well as the provision of the required resources, equipment, and technical assistance to relevant countries in this regard.
