Beijing: Special envoys of China, Russia and Pakistan met top officials of the Taliban’s interim government, as well as Afghan leaders Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, in Kabul and discussed the formation of an inclusive government, combating terrorism and humanitarian situation, a Chinese official said on Wednesday.
The three envoys visited Kabul from September 21 to 22 and held talks with acting Prime Minister Mohammad Hasan Akhund, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mutaqi, Finance Minister and other high-level officials of the interim government, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing here.
US military officer meets Russian counterpart
- Helsinki: The top US military officer met with his Russian counterpart on Wednesday, against the backdrop of US’ struggles to get military basing rights and other counterterrorism support in countries bordering Afghanistan — a move Moscow has flatly opposed.
- The meeting in Finnish capital Helsinki between General Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Chief of the Russian General Staff General Valery Gerasimov, comes at a crucial time in the wake of the military withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“We exchanged views on the current developments in the country, and welcomed the role of Afghanistan’s neighbours in achieving peace, stability and inclusive government,” Abdullah Abdullah tweeted.
“They emphasised on formation of an inclusive government acceptable to all, peace, stability, moderate policy, respecting women rights, equal right of education for all Afghans and regional cooperation,” he said.
This is perhaps the first time that the foreign diplomats met Karzai and Abdullah, who stayed put in Kabul after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan last month ahead of the withdrawal of the US and NATO troops.
The meeting also coincides with the Taliban’s letter to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres nominating its spokesman Suhail Shaheen as Afghanistan’s new ambassador to the UN.
The Afghan militant group also asked Guterres to allow it to participate and speak in the 76th session of the General Assembly, currently underway in New York.