Two key meetings on the Afghan situation convened in China’s Anhui Province on Thursday, with one, the Troika Plus meeting, the first occasion where representatives from Russia and the US sat together since the start of the Ukraine crisis.
Observers said that while global attention has been diverted to Eastern Europe, China, with diplomatic efforts, pushed crucial parties to help solve the problems of Afghans and offered a platform for major powers to seek cooperation in certain fields despite frictions in others, reported Global Times.
Along with the third Meeting of Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan’s Neighboring Countries in Tunxi, East China’s Anhui Province, envoys and special representatives from China, the US, Russia, and Pakistan also gathered for another meeting, the Troika Plus. The meeting attracted international attention as it is the first time for representatives from the US and Russia to sit at the same table since the Russia-Ukraine crisis started.
While meeting with the foreign representatives on Thursday, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed hope for countries to seek common ground while putting aside differences to practically help the people of Afghanistan.
China, Russia, the US, and Pakistan are the crucial parties that have important interests in Afghanistan issues. Each party has its own advantages and they can do a lot of things if they work together. The Troika Plus mechanism has played a constructive role in helping with Afghanistan’s peaceful transition, Wang Yi said while meeting with the envoys and representatives at the Troika Plus meeting.
The acting foreign minister of the Afghan interim government Amir Khan Muttaqi arrived in Tunxi for the meeting with neighboring countries on the same day. The foreign ministers of Indonesia and Qatar were invited to join as special guests. The last Troika Plus meeting was hosted by Pakistan in November 2021 to discuss the situation in Afghanistan and Yue led a delegation to the meeting.
The expert said it is not easy for China to arrange these meetings. US and Russian representatives sat at one table for a meeting despite the Ukraine crisis, and Taliban representatives also attended another meeting on the same day, which showcases China’s capability in diplomatic mediation, Zhu said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov led a delegation to Tunxi but he did not participate in the Troika Plus meeting. Lavrov attended the foreign ministers’ meeting of the neighboring countries and had talks with Wang.
The US may feel reluctant to cooperate with China and Russia, but it should return the withheld assets to Afghanistan which is what the international community has called on the US to do. “The US cannot claim it cares about the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine while doing nothing about the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan,” Li said.
