Senior officials from China, Russia, Pakistan, and Iran have agreed to step up communication and coordination on the Afghan issue.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and Assistant to Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Rasoul Mousavi reached the consensus at an informal meeting on Afghanistan in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.
Wang said that it is necessary for the four countries to strengthen communication and coordination, make unanimous voices, exert a positive influence, and play a constructive role in stabilizing the situation in Afghanistan.
Countries in the region expect the new Afghan government to be inclusive, anti-terrorist, and friendly to neighbors, he stressed.
Wang made five proposals on the next-stage coordination on the Afghan issue, including urging the US to perform its duties to provide economic and humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, contacting and guiding Afghanistan to form an inclusive political structure and implement moderate domestic and foreign policies and respect the basic rights of ethnic minorities, women and children, help the country to integrate itself into regional economic cooperation and connectivity networks, and achieve economic development and prevent spillover of security risks.
The informal meeting was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and Assistant to Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Rasoul Mousavi.
In a talk with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Dushanbe, Wang said that China is ready to strengthen coordination with Russia to jointly handle the issue of Afghanistan, urge US-led Western countries to shoulder their responsibility, and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability.
He called on Russia to communicate and coordinate with China within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to jointly maintain peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region, and to work together to respond to various global challenges.
Not long ago, the two countries foreign ministers jointly attended the 76th anniversary of the victory in World War II and made a loud voice that history cannot be tampered with and the truth cannot be obliterated, Wang said.
Lavrov said that the commemoration held by Russia and China for victory in World War II had once again proven the unbreakable friendship and indestructible partnership between the two countries.
The Russian Foreign Minister noted that his country firmly supports China’s position on the issues of Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Tibet, and human rights.