Key Takeaways
- China invites Afghanistan to participate in the regional foreign council, marking a positive bilateral relationship.
- The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has been invited to participate in the fifth meeting of foreign ministers of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries.
- China respects the values and choices of the Afghan people, emphasizing a positive bilateral relationship.
Beijing: China has invited the Taliban-led (under UN sanctions for terrorism) Afghan government to participate in the fifth meeting of foreign ministers of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, Afghan media reported, citing the foreign ministry.
Chinese Special Representative Yue Xiaoyong met with Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Monday. He stated that China views the bilateral relationship as positive, as reported by Tolo News.
“He [Yue] stated that his country respects the values and choices of the Afghan people. He also emphasized that the acting foreign minister of Afghanistan should attend the foreign ministers’ meeting of neighbor countries,” Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal was quoted as saying.
The date for the fifth foreign ministers’ meeting has not yet been announced. In the fourth meeting held in Samarkand in April 2023, Kabul was represented by the acting Afghan foreign minister.
The Taliban took power in Afghanistan in August 2021, overthrowing the US-backed government as US and NATO troops withdrew from the country after nearly 20 years of military presence. Numerous countries and international organizations responded to the militant takeover by cutting ties with Kabul.
