China, Russia, US reach consensuses on Afghanistan issue

MOSCOW - Representatives of China, Russia and the United States on Thursday reached consensuses on various aspects of the Afghanistan issue including sovereignty, internal dialogue, terrorism, military withdrawals and smuggling.

At the second trilateral consultation on Afghanistan held in Moscow, Chinese Special Envoy Deng Xijun, Russian Presidential Representative Zamir Kabulov, and US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad discussed the current situation in Afghanistan and its ongoing peace process.

The three parties emphasized that they respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan and the country's right to choose its own path of development, and called on foreign militaries to withdraw from the country in an orderly and responsible way as part of the peace process.

They said they recognized the strong desire of the Afghan people for a comprehensive ceasefire and urged all to take immediate and effective measures to reduce violence.

The three representatives also called on the Taliban to prevent recruitment, training and fund-raising by terrorist groups and to expel all terrorists, and encouraged peace talks between the Taliban and a representative Afghan delegation involving the government.

They suggested the Afghan government and the Taliban should take all necessary measures to wipe out the threat of drugs in the country.

The three parties also agreed to continue their consultations, and to decide via diplomatic channels the time and participating countries for the next meeting in the Chinese capital of Beijing, in a bid to further promote the Afghan peace process, for which they will stay in contact.

The first trilateral consultation was held a month ago in Washington, during which the representatives discussed ways to promote peace, prosperity, and security in Afghanistan.