Islamabad, 18 July 2022 (TDI): Ambassador Yue Xiaoyong, China’s Special Envoy on Afghanistan, met the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, Sohail Mahmood.
During the meeting, the two officials exchanged views on the political as well as security situation in Afghanistan. They also discussed the humanitarian assistance from Pakistan and China for Afghanistan, along with other matters of mutual interest.
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Foreign Secretary meets China’s Special Envoy on Afghanistan Ambassador Yue Xiaoyong
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— Spokesperson 🇵🇰 MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) July 18, 2022
Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood highlighted the commitment of Pakistan to a stable, peaceful, connected, and prosperous Afghanistan.
Along these lines, he emphasized the requirement of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, including the relief efforts of Pakistan, subsequent to the catastrophic earthquake.
The eastern part of Afghanistan was struck by a devastating earthquake on 22 June 2022. Sohail Mahmood also underscored the significance of de-freezing the foreign reserves of Afghanistan & facilitating banking operations to help the Afghans & build a sustainable economy.
In the same vein, he further emphasized the significance for the Afghan side to address the expectations of the global community about respect for the rights of all Afghans, including girls’ education; inclusivity; and effective counter-terrorism actions.
In terms of regional connectivity, the two officials deliberated on the extension of CPEC to Afghanistan for the promotion of economic development and prosperity.
Likewise, the Foreign Secretary stressed that the global community should focus on the alarming situation in Afghanistan because of events taking place elsewhere.
He also underlined the major role of fora like Six Neighbouring Countries of Afghanistan and Troika Plus in advancing common goals.
While Ambassador Yue Xiaoyong on his part lauded Pakistan’s important and constructive role in the context of Afghanistan.
In addition, the two sides agreed that only a stable, peaceful, and connected Afghanistan will serve as a hub for increased regional connectivity & trade.
Aside from that, the Chinese Special Envoy also met his counterpart, Ambassador (r) Mohammad Sadiq, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM), earlier.
During the diplomatic engagement, both sides evaluated the evolving situation in Afghanistan as well as humanitarian assistance, trade, and transit initiatives, along with infrastructure development.
