Pakistan is all set to host the United States, China, and Russia tomorrow (Thursday) for talks on neighboring Afghanistan under what is known as the “Troika Plus” process.
The meeting will be attended by senior diplomats of all four countries, a diplomatic official told a media outlet.
The diplomats will also meet Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who arrived in Islamabad today (Wednesday). This is the first time an Afghan minister is visiting Pakistan since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.
“Troika Plus at SRs (special representatives level) will meet with Muttaqi,” a Pakistani official said.
“Troika Plus has become an important forum for engagement with Afghan authorities. It will express support for an inclusive government, discuss ways to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan as well as the protection of human rights, particularly women’s rights,” he added.
This is the first full-fledged meeting of the Troika Plus since the Taliban seized control of Kabul in August.
The last meeting of Troika Plus was held in Doha, Qatar on August 11, in which Zalmay Khalilzad represented the United States.
Another meeting was held in Moscow, Russia in October, but the United States did not participate in it citing “logistics”.
The United States has now replaced Zalmay Khalilzad with Tom West and expressed its willingness to attend the Troika Plus meeting to be held in Islamabad on Thursday, November 11.
“The US would probably like to explore how flexibility can be brought on the Taliban’s stance on inclusivity, women’s rights, and governance matters. The US also seems to show some concern towards the humanitarian crisis arising out of restrictions on banks,” a Pakistani official said.
The official further said that in the meeting America would also try to evaluate the position of Pakistan, China, and Russia Pakistan on the prevailing situation in war-torn Afghanistan.