The sixth Trilateral Dialogue of the Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan, China, and Pakistan convened in Kabul on Thursday, with the three nations reaffirming their commitment to enhancing regional cooperation in political, economic, and transit sectors.
Present at the meeting were Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The ministers underscored the importance of a unified approach to tackling terrorism and strengthening cross-border collaboration.
Muttaqi emphasized Kabul’s goal of shifting Afghanistan’s image from one of longstanding instability to that of a regional transit hub, leveraging its strategic geographic location at the crossroads of South and Central Asia. While a formal joint statement was not issued, the parties pledged increased efforts to combat groups such as the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), commonly referred to as the Pakistan Taliban.
The Afghan Taliban’s pledge to combat the TTP comes after years of Pakistani accusations that Kabul has provided assistance and shelter to TTP fighters within Afghan territory. These allegations prompted at least three Pakistani airstrikes since 2022, which Islamabad claimed targeted TTP training camps and hideouts. Afghan authorities have consistently denied such ties, maintaining that the Afghan Taliban and Pakistan Taliban are distinct entities with separate agendas.
The trilateral platform has played a role in easing recent tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. In May, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosted both Muttaqi and Dar in Beijing, mediating discussions following a spike in hostilities triggered by Pakistani airstrikes in December 2024. That meeting resulted in an agreement to upgrade diplomatic relations between Kabul and Islamabad to the ambassadorial level, signaling cautious progress despite lingering mistrust.
The renewed dialogue reflects Beijing’s growing influence in regional mediation efforts, as China seeks to expand its Belt and Road Initiative through Afghanistan while bolstering security cooperation with its South Asian neighbors.