The acting Foreign Minister of the Taliban, Amir Khan Muttaqi, met with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, to discuss issues related to trade and security cooperation. The meeting was described as “candid and in-depth” and focused on key issues of mutual concern, including peace and security, as well as trade and connectivity. Pakistan has also requested an exemption for Muttaqi from a travel ban imposed by the United Nations Security Council to attend a meeting with the foreign ministers of Pakistan and China. Muttaqi’s visit to Pakistan occurred amidst a significant rise in violent attacks in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the southwestern region of Balochistan, which both share a border with Afghanistan. China, Afghanistan, and Pakistan also held a trilateral dialogue in Islamabad, in which they discussed the inclusion of Afghanistan in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor infrastructure project. The Foreign Ministers emphasized the need for enhanced coordination to counter-terrorism and deepen bilateral cooperation. Pakistan and Afghanistan share a 2,600 km-long border, also known as the Durand Line.