TOP diplomats from Pakistan, China and Afghanistan have committed their countries to stronger anti-terrorism co-operation during a meeting in Kabul.

Wednesday’s meeting was aimed at boosting political and economic partnership and each side “reaffirmed their commitment to deepening collaboration in trade, transit, regional development, health, education, culture and combating drug trafficking,” according to a statement from Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad.

The nations also confirmed an earlier agreement to extend the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan, the statement added.

It provided no further details on the meeting between Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and top Taliban officials, hosted by the Taliban government in Kabul.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor involves improving road and rail links between China’s western Xinjiang region and the Pakistani port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea. 

Pakistan’s authorities have said in recent weeks that they hope the corridor will help attract more Chinese investment to revive the country’s economy and that extending it to Afghanistan could boost trade with central Asia.

The meeting took place more than a month after Russia became the first country to formally recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan.