Pakistan, China, Afghanistan ink MoU on anti-terrorism cooperation

Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan on Saturday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on counter-terrorism cooperation during the second trilateral ministerial dialogue here.

The trilateral talks are being held in the Afghan capital to discuss the peace process, apart from bolstering anti-terrorism and economic cooperation. Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who is in Kabul for a day-long visit, signed the agreement along with his Chinese and Afghan counterparts, Wang Yi and Salahuddin Rabbani respectively, Geo News reported.

The signing of the MoU was witnessed by Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani.

During the trilateral dialogue, Qureshi said that Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China should come together to combat terrorism and achieve peace in the region. He also underlined the need for strengthening regional cooperation in various sectors.

"Better border management between Pakistan and Afghanistan and intelligence sharing will be greatly beneficial for both the countries. Pakistan will continue to play a facilitative role on Afghan reconciliation process," the Pakistani minister said.

This is Qureshi's second visit to Afghanistan after assuming the role as a Foreign Minister in August. He last visited Afghanistan in September when he held talks with the Afghan leadership over the country's peace process.

On the other hand, the Chinese Foreign Minister said that Beijing would play an important role to narrow down the trust deficit between Islamabad and Kabul. He stated that China is in favour and supports an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.