China has said that Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to “discuss a comprehensive plan to resolve issues” affecting ties, emphasising the need for dialogue and consultation.
The agreement was reached during seven days of talks that concluded Tuesday in the northwestern Chinese city of Urumqi in Xinjiang province, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ming told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday.
“Afghanistan and Pakistan reiterated that the two countries are Muslim brothers and neighbours,” said Mao.
“The three sides believed that amid the turbulent and changing international and regional situation, maintaining friendly ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan is of vital importance to the people in both countries as well as peace and stability in South Asia.”
The talks, dubbed as the “Urumqi Process” by Mao, came after the worst border clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Kabul and Islamabad agreed to a week-long ceasefire on the eve of Eid al-Fitr, one of the main Muslim festivals, on March 18, following requests from Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Hundreds of people, including civilians, soldiers, and militants, have been killed on both sides of the border.
“The three sides stressed that dialogue and consultation are the viable and effective way to resolve complex international disputes, including the disputes between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” said Mao.
She said representatives from Beijing, Kabul and Islamabad “agreed to discuss a comprehensive plan to resolve issues and they identified “the core and priority issues.”
Mao added that “China stressed that terrorism is the core issue affecting Afghanistan-Pakistan relations.”
