KABUL: The Afghan Taliban government has stressed mutual respect and constructive engagement with its neighbours, Pakistan and China, said a statement issued by its interior ministry.
The statement was released following a meeting in Kabul between Afghan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and the special envoys of Pakistan and China, Mohammad Sadiq and Yue Xiaoyong. “Minister of Interior Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani emphasised the importance of strengthening regional ties, stating that, from the Islamic Emirate’s perspective, the advancement of economic and political relations, as well as regional understanding, can be achieved through mutual respect and constructive engagement,” the Afghan interior ministry said.
Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq in a post said: “The meeting aimed to follow up on the fifth trilateral dialogue between the foreign ministers of the three countries, held in Islamabad; prepare for the upcoming sixth ministerial round; and strengthen three-way political and economic cooperation.” “The delegations emphasised their commitment to good neighbourly relations, regional stability, mutual respect, and constructive engagement as foundations for stronger ties,” he added. Separately, the Afghan Foreign Ministry reported that Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met in Kabul with the special envoys from Pakistan and China, along with their respective delegations. In a statement, the ministry said the meeting “focused on following up on the agenda of the fifth round of the Afghanistan-China-Pakistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue”
. The fifth round of the dialogue, held in Islamabad in May 2023, emphasised the importance of preventing any individual, group, or organization—including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM)—from using any territory to undermine regional security, threaten interests, or carry out terrorist acts. Both Chinese and Pakistani representatives reaffirmed their countries’ commitment to strengthening bilateral and trilateral ties with Afghanistan, based on principles of good neighbourliness and mutual respect.
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