China confirms progress in Taliban talks with Pakistan and acts as key mediator. Behind-the-scenes deals can ease border tensions.
Peace talks between the Afghan government’s Taliban movement and Pakistan are progressing, China confirmed on Friday, just two days after the two countries resumed joint talks. Beijing acts as a mediator in this conflict. TASR informs about it according to the report of the AP agency.
- Peace talks between the Taliban and Pakistan are moving forward again.
- China mediates negotiations and provides a platform for dialogue.
- The representatives met in the Chinese city of Urumqi.
- Both countries welcome China’s mediation and want to continue.
Representatives of Kabul and Islamabad resumed negotiations on Wednesday when they met in the northwestern Chinese city of Urumqi. “The consultation process is gradually being implemented and progressing,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Friday. “The three parties also reached a consensus and agreed on a specific modus operandi, including media coverage,” the spokeswoman added, without elaborating.
“Since the recent escalation of the Pakistan-Afghan conflict, China has been mediating and promoting negotiations in its own way, maintaining close communication with both sides through multiple channels and at various levels, and creating conditions and providing platforms for dialogue,” Mao Ning noted.
Countries are willing to negotiate
According to the spokeswoman, both countries “attribute importance and welcome China’s mediation efforts and are willing to sit down for negotiations again, which is a positive development.”
Armed clashes between Kabul and Islamabad escalated last October and led to the almost complete closure of the shared border. Pakistan subsequently declared “open war” on the Taliban and bombed the Afghan capital, Kabul, on February 27. Since then, armed skirmishes in the border areas have intensified. On March 18, the countries announced a “temporary pause” in attacks at the request of several countries and to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The latest attacks in the border areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan took place over the weekend.
