Afghan, Chinese and Pakistani flags are placed at the lobby in Beijing. File photo/Reuters

Pakistan is hosting the third round of trilateral talks with Afghanistan and China to cover trade, counterterrorism and ending Afghanistan’s 18-year war.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Saturday that talks are happening at a key moment in the US-led effort to negotiate peace in Afghanistan.

Qureshi said regional and Pakistani security will rely on ending the fighting in Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office said in a statement that the foreign ministers of the three countries will also discuss cooperating in economic development.

The forum was established in two years ago, and earlier meetings were held in Beijing and Kabul in 2017 and 2018.

Associated Press