At a Troika Plus meeting on Thursday (Today), senior diplomats from China, Russia, the United States, and Pakistan will address the situation in Afghanistan.
According to a statement released by Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Wednesday, the Troika Plus mechanism on the situation in Afghanistan is very important to Pakistan. furthermore, the statement added, “Pakistan believes that the Troika Plus meeting’s discussions will assist to current efforts in Afghanistan to achieve sustainable peace and stability.”
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will open the Troika Plus meeting in Afghanistan. It will be attended by:
⦁ Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq.
⦁ US State Department’s Special Representative.
⦁ Deputy Assistant Secretary for Afghanistan Thomas West.
⦁ Russia’s special envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov.
⦁ Chinese special envoy for Afghanistan Yue Xiaoyong.
The discussion is being held in the presence of Taliban temporary Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who arrived on a three-day visit here on Wednesday. This is an Afghan Taliban minister’s first visit to Pakistan since the group seized control on August 15, and it comes as the Taliban interim government wants global legitimacy and the unfreezing of its assets.
Amir Muttaqi visited Pakistan for a wide range of bilateral meetings as well as to attend the Troika Plus meeting. He is leading a 20-member high-level team that includes:
⦁ Finance Minister Hidayatullah Badri.
⦁ Industries and Trade Minister Nooruddin Aziz.
⦁ Senior aviation ministry officials.
When the Afghan delegation arrived at Nur Khan Airbase, Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Khan, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, and other senior officials greeted them.
The Taliban’s official in the Afghan embassy in Islamabad, Shakaib Ahmad, was also present.
The Troika Plus meeting takes place a day after a gathering of national security experts from Iran, Russia, and Central Asian countries, hosted by New Delhi. China and Pakistan were the only countries that did not participate.
Dr. Moeed Yusuf, the National Security Adviser, has already rebuffed India’s invitation, claiming that a spoiler cannot be a peacemaker.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday, “Due to scheduling reasons, it is inconvenient for China to attend the [advisers’] meeting,”
Yue Xiaoyong, China’s special envoy for Afghan issues, will lead China’s team to the Troika Plus conference.
Wang Wenbin said at a briefing on Wednesday, “China supports Pakistan in hosting the extended troika meeting. We support all efforts conducive for stability in Afghanistan to building up consensus in the world.”
Thomas West’s attendance at the Troika Plus meeting during his tour to the region has already been confirmed by the United States. State Department spokesman Ned Price told a briefing, “Together with our partners, he will continue to make clear the expectations that we have of the Taliban and of any future Afghanistan government.”
Pakistan, China, Russia, and the United States all have a lot riding on the peace in Afghanistan. These nations have been active participants in the Afghan peace talks for a long time. The four important players founded the Troika Plus forum to restore peace in Afghanistan, build regional consensus on the Afghan issue, and assist the war-torn country in resolving its issues.
