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.
Established in 2017, the trilateral forum has previously convened in both Beijing and Kabul.
“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.
In another engagement under the Pakistan-China-Afghanistan trilateral format, the Special Representatives of Pakistan and China met with the Minister of Interior, H.E. Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, in Kabul.
The meeting aimed to follow up on the fifth trilateral dialogue between… pic.twitter.com/vy53MsWeHX
— Mohammad Sadiq (@AmbassadorSadiq) May 11, 2025
Meeting with Afghan FM
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.
During the trilateral meeting in Kabul on May 10, it was agreed that the sixth round of the Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue would be hosted in Kabul. Preparatory steps will also be taken for the upcoming meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries.
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.
At the conclusion of the meeting, all parties agreed that the sixth trilateral foreign ministers’ meeting would be hosted in Kabul.
Earlier, the Chinese and Pakistani envoys also held a meeting with Afghan Commerce Minister Nooruddin Azizi.
As part of our ongoing trilateral engagements, I joined the Chinese Special Representative in a meeting with Commerce Minister Azizi. We held constructive discussions on strengthening trade and economic cooperation. Notably, the three sides agreed to build on the understandings… pic.twitter.com/q6NQjIMb0v
— Mohammad Sadiq (@AmbassadorSadiq) May 10, 2025
According to the ministry, the discussion focused on enhancing trade relations, attracting investment, and initiating joint projects among Afghanistan, Pakistan, and China.
Key topics included the creation of joint industrial parks and special economic zones in Afghanistan, the launch of joint export processing centres, organising trilateral trade fairs, establishing support centres for small and medium-sized enterprises in Afghanistan, and facilitating banking cooperation between the three countries.
