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Beijing confirms Pakistan and Afghanistan to upgrade diplomatic ties
Pakistan and Afghanistan plan to upgrade their diplomatic ties, China said on Wednesday after hosting an informal meeting between Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
Muttaqi and Dar agreed in principle to send ambassadors to each other’s country as soon as possible, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said after the meeting.
According to a statement issued by China’s foreign ministry, Wang said the two countries “clearly expressed” willingness to upgrade the level of their diplomatic relations.
“China welcomes this and is willing to continue providing assistance for the improvement of Afghanistan-Pakistan relations,” he said.
In a statement on Wednesday, Pakistan’s foreign office said it “welcomed positive momentum in bilateral ties, including enhanced diplomatic engagement, trade, and transit facilitation.”
Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister “emphasized the importance of political and economic relations with both countries and expressed hope for further progress in these areas in the future.”
Tensions appeared to ease after a rare meeting between Muttaqi and Dar in Kabul last month where the Islamic Emirate’s acting foreign minister expressed concern over the deportation of tens of thousands of Afghans from Pakistan, Reuters reported.
Wednesday’s meeting in Beijing signalled a further thaw, with all agreeing to a trilateral foreign ministers’ dialogue in Kabul as soon as possible.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have embassies in each other’s capitals but they are led by charge d’affaires, not ambassadors.
China was the first country to accept an ambassador from the Islamic Emirate-run administration in Kabul though it does not formally recognise the government.
Wang and Muttaqi also met separately on Wednesday to discuss their bilateral relations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan announced on Tuesday the release of American citizen Dennis Coyle from prison.
According to the ministry, Coyle’s mother had written to the leader of the Islamic Emirate demanding amnesty and the release of her son on the occasion of Eid. The Supreme Court considered time served sufficient and decided to release him.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this action was carried out on the basis of humanitarianism and good faith, and it believes that such measures can strengthen trust between countries. The ministry also expressed hope that both countries, in the future, can find solutions to remaining issues through mutual understanding and constructive dialogue.
The Islamic Emirate also expressed appreciation for the cooperation of the United Arab Emirates in this matter.
Separately, for Coyle’s release, an American delegation, including Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, met on Tuesday with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate.
The meeting was also attended by Saif Mohammed Al-Ketbi, Ambassador of the UAE in Kabul, and a member of the prisoner’s family.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi stated that the Islamic Emirate has not detained any citizen of any country to achieve political objectives; rather, detentions were the result of legal violations, and individuals were released after completing judicial procedures.
At the meeting, Khalilzad praised the action of the Islamic Emirate and emphasized the importance of continuing discussions on all issues between the two countries, expressing hope for further progress in the future.
Muttaqi also stressed that Kabul and the UAE should provide standard consular services to their citizens, and that the Afghan government is fully prepared in this regard.
He thanked Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for their constructive role in facilitating the release of the prisoner and referred to the UAE as a close friend of Afghanistan.
Earlier, Muttaqi had also praised the role of the State of Qatar in facilitating information exchange between the Islamic Emirate and the prisoner’s family.
Additionally, the UAE ambassador expressed his country’s readiness to play a role in humanitarian institutions and called such developments beneficial for everyone.
The United Kingdom has announced an additional £3 million (AFN 257 million) in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, aimed at supporting people affected by natural disasters and other shocks.
Richard Lindsay, in a post on X, said the funding will be used to provide essential nutrition supplies and related support to vulnerable populations.
The new allocation brings the UK’s total bilateral assistance to Afghanistan for the current financial year to £154 million (AFN 13.18 billion).
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