Kabul, Aug 20 (IANS) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Taliban counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul on Wednesday, congratulating Afghanistan on its “new achievements in national development”. Wang Yi expressed China’s willingness to support Taliban regime in implementing “prudent governance”, focusing on development, resolutely combating terrorism, and maintaining good neighbourliness and friendship to achieve lasting peace and stability in the region.

“We must properly handle the relationship between security and development. Strengthening security cooperation between China and Afghanistan will provide guarantees for economic cooperation, and deepening economic cooperation will also enhance Afghanistan’s security capabilities,” read a statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

During the meeting, Wang Yi stressed that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Afghanistan. He expressed China’s willingness to support Afghanistan in pursuing an “economy-centered” policy and work with Kabul to carry forward the friendship between the two nations, deepen political mutual trust, and strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the fields of economy and trade, agriculture, poverty reduction, water conservancy, connectivity, and culture.

The statement added, “China hopes to ensure that the China-Afghanistan friendship continues to grow stronger, bring greater benefits to the two countries and their peoples, and make new contributions to regional peace, stability, and development.”

During the meeting, Muttaqi welcomed Wang Yi to Kabul and thanked China for its support to Afghanistan in its fight against “external interference”. He lauded China’s contribution in maintaining regional peace and development. He expressed Afghanistan’s willingness to deepen bilateral relations on the basis of equality and mutual respect, strengthen exchanges at all levels, establish a regular economic and trade dialogue mechanism, and promote more mutually beneficial results from practical cooperation.

Earlier in the day, Wang Yi and Pakistani Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar arrived in Kabul to attend trilateral meeting with the Taliban officials, with a focus on economic cooperation, security and political dialogue to shape regional role of Afghanistan, leading Afghan news agency Khaama Press reported.

–IANS

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