ISLAMABAD: Acting Afghanistan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi will arrive in Islamabad on Friday on a four-day visit to participate in the 5th Pakistan-China-Afghanistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue, the Foreign Office of Pakistan said.
Muttaqi would lead a high-level delegation, including Acting Haji Nooruddin Azizi, Afghan Minister for Commerce and Industry, and senior officials from the Afghanistan ministries of foreign affairs, transport, and trade, the Foreign Office added.
“The visit of the Acting Afghan Foreign Minister is the continuation of Pakistan’s political engagement process with Afghanistan,” the Foreign Office said. It added that Pakistan was committed to practical engagement with the Afghan government.
The 5th Pakistan-China-Afghanistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue will be held on May 6. The Foreign Office said Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang would also participate in the meeting.
According to the Foreign Office statement, during Muttaqi’s visit, both sides would also “review the entire spectrum of bilateral ties in the political, economic, trade, connectivity, peace and security, and education domains.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning confirmed that Foreign Minister Qin would visit Pakistan on May 5-6 and attend the three-way dialogue on Afghanistan.
Mao said it would be Qin’s first visit to Pakistan as the country’s foreign minister. “The visit of Qin Gang is also a significant 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 negotiations between the foreign ministers of China and Pakistan with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
She added, “Qin Gang will conduct face-to-face and in-depth communication on the ties between the two countries and the global and regional situation,” she said. “China looks forward to exchanging views with Afghanistan and Pakistan on the situation and trilateral cooperation through this [trilateral] dialogue,”
