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BEIJING, Aug 24 (APP):Senior Research Fellow at the Charhar Institute, Prof. Cheng Xinhong has said that the positive outcomes has been achieved through the intensive talks among the foreign ministers of China, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The model of promoting security through development and resolving differences through cooperation not only provides a feasible alternative for Afghanistan’s reconstruction, but also offers a new paradigm for global governance.
In the future, with the normality of the trilateral cooperation mechanism, South Asia is expected to become a new growth pole of global development in the 21st century, he said while commenting on talks among foreign ministers of three countries.
According to the website of the Chinese foreign office, during talks, Pakistan and Afghanistan clearly expressed their willingness to upgrade their diplomatic relations and agreed in principle to exchange ambassadors as soon as possible. This breakthrough will not only ease geopolitical confrontations in the South Asian subcontinent, but also provide an institutional guarantee for resolving cross-border disputes through the normalization of diplomacy.
The Chinese side clearly opposed external forces’ interference in regional affairs, emphasized that all countries must not allow acts within their territories that undermine the sovereignty of other countries, he added.
Prof Cheng said that the Chinese side has committed to speaking up for Afghanistan in multilateral forums and promoting the international community to lift the freeze on Afghanistan’s assets, which will create conditions for Afghanistan’s integration into the international community.
The three parties have agreed to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) from Pakistan to Afghanistan, with a focus on advancing cooperation in energy, transportation and agriculture. In this way, the land-sea intermodal transportation network of the Gwadar Port will connect Central Asia via Afghanistan, forming the China-Pakistan-Afghanistan-Central Asia economic corridor. It is expected that this corridor will reduce Afghanistan’s trade costs by 30%.
According to the website of the Chinese foreign office, the three parties have in principle agreed to jointly combat terrorism. China will provide Afghanistan with counter-terrorism equipment and training, while Pakistan, for its part, has committed to strengthening control in border areas.
In addition to counter-terrorism, the three parties also reached consensus on such topics as combating drug smuggling and addressing climate change, he said.