Russian President Vladimir Putin, Interim PM of Pakistan Anwaarul Haq Kakar, Taliban ministers will be attending the third Belt and Road Summit in China this week. Chinese President Xi Jinping will be hosting delegates from 130 countries and 30 global organisations at the forum held to mark 10 years of the initiative.
Dubbed the modern Silk Road, the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation is being held from October 17-18 and the leaders last met in 2019, the Chinese foreign ministry said. According to reports, the forum was attended by 5,000 delegates in 2019, including 37 state heads and representatives of seven high-level and international organisations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has confirmed attendance at the summit this year. Talking to Chinese media ahead of the trip, Putin said the concept of the Belt and Road initiative is close to Russia. TASS quoted the Russian President as saying, “Beijing endeavours to find projects and ways of achieving common goals that are acceptable for everybody. This is a specific feature of current China headed by President Xi Jinping in building relations with others. Nobody imposes anything on anyone else; nobody enforces. Only an opportunity is offered." According to reports, Putin is expected to discuss energy, transactions in national currencies at the summit.
Pakistan Interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has confirmed his attendance at the summit. According to reports, Pakistan is likely to sign new highway deals under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, an important part of the Belt and Road initiative. “At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar will visit China to participate in the ‘Third Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation’, being held in Beijing. He will hold bilateral meetings with President Xi Jinping, senior Chinese officials, business leaders and investors as well as a number of leaders attending the Forum,” Pakistan’s PMO tweeted.
Taliban’s acting commerce minister has confirmed his attendance, signalling growing ties between China and Afghanistan. South China Morning Post reported, “China has been in talks with the Taliban over plans – begun under the previous Western-backed government – of building a possible huge copper mine in eastern Afghanistan.” Afghanistan in 2010 estimated that it has untapped mineral deposits worth between US$1 trillion and US$3 trillion.
