Pakistan, China agree to remain in close contact on evolving situation in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi received a telephone call from Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday.

They exchanged views on the evolving situation in Afghanistan. They agreed to remain in close contact to promote the shared objectives.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi underlined that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was of critical importance for Pakistan and the region. "In this perspective, Pakistan had assiduously supported the Afghan peace process. Pakistan and China, as part of Troika Plus, had made valuable contribution to these efforts."

He added that in the given situation, it was extremely important to ensure safety and security as well as protection of rights of the Afghan people.

The minister stressed that an inclusive political settlement was essential, for which all Afghans should work together. "It was equally important for the international community to remain engaged in support of the Afghan people." Qureshi emphasized that the international community must also have sustained economic engagement with Afghanistan.

The foreign minister apprised Foreign Minister Wang Yi of Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate the evacuation of personnel and staff of diplomatic missions, international organizations, media and others from Afghanistan. He said that Pakistan and China were ‘iron brothers’ and strategic partners. "The two countries had the tradition of maintaining close coordination and communication on issues of common interest and significance," he added.

Earlier talking to the media, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that preliminary reports from Afghanistan are satisfactory. "Each news should be confirmed under these circumstances," he said.

The minister said that a fake trend was run against Pakistan in Afghanistan. "We have already exposed several website containing fake news," he added.