KABUL (Pajhwok): The Afghan Minister of Foreign Affairs, during a phone call with his Tajik counterpart, condemned the casualties of Chinese nationals in Tajikistan and said that some groups are trying to damage the positive relations between the two countries.

The Tajik Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that Tajikistan supports positive engagement with the Afghan government and rejects“biased groups” that aim to hurt relations between the two countries.

According to a statement from the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi held a phone conversation today (Tuesday) with Tajik Foreign Minister Sirajuddin Mehruddin regarding political relations, economic cooperation, border issues, security coordination and regional initiatives between the two countries.

Muttaqi said that Afghanistan and Tajikistan have recently built a climate of trust in political, economic, and security cooperation, but some circles are trying to undermine this positive process.

The statement added that Muttaqi described the recent security incident in Tajikistan and the casualties among Chinese nationals as condemnable and distressing, and emphasized the importance of joint efforts for regional stability.

He also said that Afghanistan is fully prepared to strengthen border security, conduct joint investigations, and coordinate in all matters, considering joint action against“malicious elements” a timely necessity.

On Monday, Reuters reported that in the past two weeks, two attacks along the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border resulted in the deaths of five Chinese nationals and injuries to five others.

The report also noted that the Chinese Embassy had urged Chinese citizens to urgently leave the border areas between Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

According to the statement, Tajik Foreign Minister Sirajuddin Mehruddin highlighted the historical and cultural ties between the two countries and expressed support for strengthening border coordination.

He emphasized that Tajikistan supports positive engagement with the Afghan government and rejects biased groups attempting to damage bilateral relations.

The MoFA stated that both ministers agreed on regular contacts between border forces, the establishment of joint security cooperation committees, and the continuation of technical meetings to ensure the region witnesses greater mutual trust and stability.

sa/ma

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