China, Pakistan want Afghanistan’s assets released

KABUL (Pajhwok): China and Pakistan have renewed their call for the release of Afghanistan’s frozen asses in the US and other countries.

At their meeting in Beijing, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chinese President Xi Jinping conferred on the current humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

“On Afghanistan, the two sides agreed that a peaceful, stable, united, safe, and secure Afghanistan is fundamental for prosperity in the region,” they agreed.

In a joint statement from the foreign ministry of China, Khan and Xi called on the international community to support the people of Afghanistan by providing humanitarian assistance.

After Taliban’s seizure of power in August 2021, over $9 billion in assets of Afghanistan’s central bank were frozen by the US and its allies.

They also underlined the need for releasing Afghanistan’s assets frozen abroad, mainly in the United States, the statement added.

Both Pakistan and China expressed their readiness to discuss with Afghanistan the extension of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan.

They highlighted the significance of the Gwadar Port as a central pillar of CPEC and important node in “regional connectivity”.

Afghanistan received the first consignment of bulk cargo from the United Arab Emirates through this port in July 2020.

PAN Monitor/mud

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