Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi File photo: Xinhua

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan between July 12 and 16 on the invitation of foreign ministers of the three countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin announced on Friday.

Wang Yi will also attend the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers, the meeting of foreign ministers of SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group, and the international conference "Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity. Challenges and Opportunities," the spokesperson said at a regular conference on Friday.

The SCO member states agreed to hold the meeting of foreign ministers of SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group, at which Wang Yi will exchange views with other SCO member states and his Afghan counterpart on promoting regional security and stability, advancing the process of peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan and deepening cooperation between the SCO and Afghanistan, Wang Wenbin said.

The foreign ministers of the member states will issue a joint statement on their united stand on the Afghan issue, Wang Wenbin added.

At present, the United States and NATO have completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan in a short period of time, and the situation in Afghanistan is escalating in a complex context, Wang Wenbin pointed out. 

Under this situation, the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group is of great significance to properly respond to the changes in Afghanistan in the "post-troop withdrawal era," jointly promote the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan, and effectively safeguard regional security and stability by stepping up efforts to combat the "three evils (terrorism, separatism, and extremism)," said Wang Wenbin.

"China is ready to work with all parties to give full play to the role of the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group, promoting the SCO to contribute more in maintaining stability and peaceful reconstruction in Afghanistan," Wang Wenbin noted.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the SCO. Over the past 20 years, the SCO has been firmly carrying forward the "Shanghai spirit," and has successfully blazed a path of cooperation and development that suits the realities of the region, and meets the needs of all parties, said Wang Wenbin.

China is willing to work with all parties to seized the opportunity offered by the SCO's 20th anniversary, deepen solidarity and mutual trust among the member states, build consensus on cooperation among all parties and comprehensively advance SCO's cooperation in all fields, injecting strong impetus into the development and revitalization of countries in the region, Wang Wenbin said.

Global Times