Afghanistan said Tuesday that China-hosted talks with Pakistan aimed at halting cross-border clashes were “constructive,” as both sides seek to ease tensions after months of deadly fighting.
The talks began last week in the western Chinese city of Urumqi following an invitation by China, in an effort to stop the conflict that began between the two countries in February, leaving hundreds dead. Pakistan, which declared it was in "open war” with its neighbor, has also carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan, including in the capital Kabul.
The United Nations' office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs in Afghanistan posted on X Tuesday that the conflict had displaced 94,000 people overall, while 100,000 people in two Afghan districts near the border have been completely cut off by the fighting since February.
The conflict has alarmed the international community, particularly as the area is one where other militant organizations, including al-Qaida and the Daesh terrorist group, still have a presence in the region.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with China’s ambassador to Afghanistan Tuesday, Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman Zia Ahmad Takal wrote on X, thanking Beijing for arranging and hosting the talks, and Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates for their mediation efforts.
