Pakistan and Afghanistan Improve Diplomatic Ties with China's Assistance

Pakistan and Afghanistan have made significant strides in improving diplomatic relations, with key developments in recent days indicating a fresh start in their bilateral ties. The upgrade of Pakistani and Afghan envoys to ambassadorial status and a phone call between the two countries' foreign ministers demonstrate a commitment to cooperation. Chinese diplomacy appears to have played a crucial role in this improvement, with a trilateral dialogue between the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China in Beijing last month yielding positive results.

Key Takeaways:

• Pakistan's charge d'affaires in Kabul was upgraded to ambassadorial status, marking a significant improvement in Pak-Afghan ties.
• The Afghan Taliban's envoy in Islamabad was also given ambassadorial status, a move seen as steps towards international acceptance of the Kabul regime.
• Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Afghan counterpart pledged to deepen bilateral cooperation in various fields during a phone call on Sunday.
• The sudden improvement in relations appears to be largely the work of Chinese diplomacy, as stated by the Chinese foreign minister in Beijing last month.
• China has accepted the credentials of the Afghan Taliban representative in Beijing, while the UAE and Uzbekistan have also established diplomatic ties with the Kabul regime.
• Pakistan is the fourth country to have an ambassador in Kabul, with Russia accepting the nomination of Afghanistan's envoy in Moscow.
• China's investments in Afghanistan and its desire to cooperate in the security field to counter anti-China militants are driving Beijing's engagement with the Kabul regime.
• Pakistan and Afghanistan can cooperate on security and commerce, particularly under a trilateral format with China, addressing Pakistan's security concerns and amplifying its message.
• Regional integration and commerce can only take off when Afghan soil is cleansed of militant groups.

Statistics:

• Pakistan and Afghanistan have upgraded diplomatic ties, with envoys being elevated to ambassadorial status.
• The upgrade is seen as a step towards international acceptance of the Kabul regime.
• China, the UAE, and Uzbekistan have established diplomatic ties with the Kabul regime, with Pakistan being the fourth country to do so.
• China has multimillion-dollar investments in Afghanistan and is keen to cooperate in the security field to counter anti-China militants.
• Pakistan and Afghanistan pledged to deepen bilateral cooperation in various fields, with a focus on security and commerce.

Sources:

• "Pakistan, Afghanistan improve diplomatic ties" in Dawn, an Urdu-language newspaper based in Karachi.
• "China's foreign minister attends Beijing meeting with Pakistan, Afghanistan" in Beijing, citing a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry.