Beijing Says Received Invitation To Partake In Afghan Peace Conference In Turkey

China has already received an invitation to participate in the US-brokered Afghan peace conference in Turkey's Istanbul, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Thursday

BEIJING (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th April, 2021) China has already received an invitation to participate in the US-brokered Afghan peace conference in Turkey's Istanbul, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Thursday.

"The Chinese side has already received the invitation," Zhao said at a briefing, adding that Beijing maintains contacts on the issue with all the parties involved.

The diplomat added that the settlement of the Afghan conflict would be impossible without the international community's support and assistance.

"China supports any international efforts contributing to the peace process in Afghanistan," Zhao said.

Apart from conflicting parties, the Istanbul-hosted conference will also gather international stakeholders, including Russia, China, India, Iran and Pakistan. The United Nations said earlier this week that the event was scheduled to take place from April 24 to May 4 in cooperation with the government of Qatar. Following the announcement, the Taliban said that it would not participate in any conferences until all foreign forces withdrew from Afghanistan, insisting on the May 1 deadline for the foreign military presence to end.