Afghan Interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi will visit Pakistan on Wednesday for the first time since the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan, and will hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart on a wide range of issues, according to officials on both sides.
The Taliban government delegation is visiting at the invitation of Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. The Afghan delegation will also attend a two-day Troika Plus meeting on the Afghan situation.
A spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry in Kabul Abdul Qahar Balkhi said in a statement that a senior-level delegation led by Muttaqi will travel to Pakistan on Nov 10.
“(The) delegation will discuss enhancing ties, economy, transit, refugees & expanding facilities for the movement of people, & will include ministers and working groups from Finance and Trade Ministries,” Balkhi tweeted.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman in Pakistan told reporters in the capital Islamabad that Muttaqi will discuss a string of issues with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi, including bilateral relationships, visas to Afghan nationals, and cross-border movement.
Earlier, Pakistan extended a special invitation to Muttaqi to attend the Troika Plus meeting scheduled to be held in Islamabad on Nov 11, which will include Pakistan s Special Representative for Afghanistan Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq, US State Department s Special Representative, and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Afghanistan Thomas West, Russia s Special Envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov, and Chinese Special Envoy for Afghanistan Yue Xiaoyong.
