Pakistan, China and Afghanistan hold summit in Kabul to boost cooperation

Top diplomats from Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan are meeting in Kabul for a trilateral summit

ISLAMABAD -- ISLAMABAD (AP) — Top diplomats from Pakistan, China and Afghanistan are meeting on Wednesday in Kabul for a trilateral summit aimed at boosting political, regional and economic cooperation, officials said.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi were received by Taliban officials on arrival in the Afghan capital, according to separate statements issued by Islamabad and Beijing.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement said the talks, hosted by Kabul, will include “comprehensive discussions” on a wide range of issues, including political, economic and regional cooperation.

According to Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dar's discussions at the meeting would focus on expanding trade, improving regional connectivity and strengthening joint efforts against terrorism.

The last round of the dialogue took place in May in Beijing.

The latest development comes more than a month after Russia became the first country to formally recognize the Taliban’s governmen t in Afghanistan. While no country, except from Russian, has offered formal recognition, the Taliban have engaged in high-level talks with many nations and established some diplomatic ties with countries including China and the United Arab Emirates.