Kabul/Islamabad, June 1 (UNI) The Afghan interim government has welcomed Pakistan’s decision to elevate the diplomatic mission to the level of ambassador, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan welcomes the decision of the government of Pakistan to upgrade the level of its diplomatic mission in Kabul to that of an ambassador,” said the statement by the ministry’s deputy spokesman Hafiz Zia Ahmad posted on his X handle on late Saturday evening.
“In reciprocity, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will elevate the status of its mission in Islamabad from chargé d’affaires to ambassador,” the statement further said.
“This elevation in diplomatic representation between Afghanistan and Pakistan paves the way for enhanced bilateral cooperation in multiple domains,” the statement added.
With relations between the two neighbours extremely tense, amid frequent cases of cross border fire, Pakistan’s rough treatment of Afghan nationals during rapid deportation, and the massive instability in the country’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region where the terror organisation – the Tehreek -e- Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has gained significant footing, the development signals an intermittent cooling down of hostilities on a diplomatic scale.
As per Xinhua, this development came following the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan trilateral dialogue in Beijing on May 21, which focused on improving regional cooperation, with China being one of the few states who have recognised the Taliban regime and is openly engaged in dialogue with them.