China’s foreign ministry said Sharif’s meetings would focus on bilateral ties and regional issues, though it did not specify whether the Iran conflict would dominate discussions.

“The leaders of China and Pakistan will have an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and issues of common concern,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing.

Guo said China would work with Pakistan to “make positive contributions to the early restoration of peace and stability in the Middle East,” adding that Beijing supported Islamabad’s “fair and balanced mediating role” aimed at ending the conflict.

Pakistan has emerged as an active intermediary between Washington and Tehran in recent weeks and hosted talks involving U.S. and Iranian officials last month. Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir was also expected in Tehran on Thursday, according to Iranian media reports.

A ceasefire agreement reached on April 8 has paused direct hostilities in the region, although U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that diplomatic efforts faced narrowing prospects.

China has maintained a lower-profile role in the crisis, facilitating calls and meetings with Gulf officials while urging regional de-escalation. Following talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last week, Trump said Xi had offered Chinese assistance in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping route disrupted during the conflict.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi earlier this month urged Pakistan to intensify mediation efforts during a phone call with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
Sharif’s visit also comes as Beijing deepens strategic coordination with Islamabad amid broader geopolitical tensions across Asia and the Middle East.

The Élysée Palace said Ambassador Stephane Romatet would resume his duties in Algiers more than a year after he was recalled amid diplomatic tensions between Paris and its former colony.

French Deputy Armed Forces Minister Alice Rufo is scheduled to attend ceremonies on Friday marking the 1945 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations in Algeria, accompanied by Romatet.The ceremonies commemorate the mass killings in Sétif, Guelma and Kherrata on May 8, 1945, when French colonial authorities violently suppressed nationalist protests demanding greater political rights.

The events remain a deeply sensitive issue in relations between France and Algeria and continue to shape historical and political discourse in both countries.The French presidency said the decision reflected Emmanuel Macron’s intention to restore diplomatic engagement with Algeria.

“The President of the Republic’s desire is to address relations between France and Algeria with honesty” and “to restore an effective dialogue,” the Élysée said in a statement.Relations between Paris and Algiers have faced repeated tensions in recent years over migration policy, visa restrictions, security cooperation and disputes surrounding France’s colonial legacy in North Africa.

Macron has sought a more conciliatory approach toward Algeria during his presidency, including acknowledging abuses committed during French colonial rule, though disagreements over historical memory and political rhetoric have periodically disrupted bilateral ties.

The visit comes as Moscow and Pyongyang continue to strengthen military and diplomatic cooperation following their 2024 strategic defence pact.Earlier, North Korean state media KCNA reported that Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin had also arrived in Pyongyang to attend the opening ceremony of a newly built memorial honoring North Korean troops killed while fighting in the Ukraine war.

Belousov is expected to hold meetings with North Korea’s top leadership and participate in “ceremonial and commemorative events,” according to the Russian defence ministry.Separately, the Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a telegram to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un marking the opening of the memorial.

Putin thanked Kim and North Korean soldiers for assisting Russia in repelling what Moscow described as a major Ukrainian incursion into the western Kursk region and said he was confident the two countries would continue strengthening their strategic partnership.

Russia and North Korea significantly expanded their relations after Kim and Putin met in June 2024 and signed a comprehensive strategic treaty that included a mutual defence clause.Since 2023, both countries have accelerated military exchanges and diplomatic coordination, drawing close international scrutiny over North Korea’s alleged military support for Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.

The memorial inauguration and Belousov’s visit underscore the growing public acknowledgment of North Korea’s role in the conflict and signal further institutional deepening of Moscow-Pyongyang security ties.

Lee’s trip would come shortly after Lam’s election as president last week, a development that consolidates his authority by combining the presidency with leadership of the ruling Communist Party, the country’s most powerful political position.

The meeting is expected to underscore ties between the two countries, which have developed extensive economic and strategic cooperation in recent years, though specific agenda details were not disclosed by the sources.

Reuters could not immediately verify further details of the planned discussions, and officials from both governments have not publicly commented on the visit.

Wang, on a two-day visit to North Korea, said Beijing and Pyongyang should enhance communication “in the face of a turbulent and complex international situation,” according to a statement from China’s foreign ministry.

The visit marks a renewed push to strengthen bilateral relations following a period of limited exchanges during the COVID-19 pandemic, and comes as North Korea has also expanded engagement with Russia.

North Korean state media said Kim emphasized the importance of intensifying exchanges at multiple levels, describing closer ties as essential for safeguarding shared interests.

The report confirmed the meeting and highlighted mutual commitments to expand cooperation.Wang also held talks with his North Korean counterpart, pledging to build on what he described as positive momentum in relations and to advance practical cooperation between the two countries.

The diplomatic engagement comes ahead of a planned visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to China next month.

Trump has previously indicated interest in resuming dialogue with Kim, raising the prospect of renewed diplomatic activity on the Korean Peninsula.

Wang, on a two-day visit to the diplomatically isolated state his first since 2019 said the two countries should enhance communication on major international and regional issues while safeguarding their respective sovereignty and security interests, according to Chinese state media.

“China is willing to work with North Korea to maintain close communication and interaction, promote practical cooperation, and infuse new contemporary meaning into the traditional friendship,” Wang said, as reported by Xinhua.

The visit follows the resumption of transport links between the neighbors after pandemic-related disruptions, signaling a broader effort to restore economic and diplomatic engagement. China remains North Korea’s largest trading partner and a crucial source of economic and political support.

Wang’s trip comes amid renewed efforts by Donald Trump’s administration to revive high-level talks with Pyongyang, with discussions potentially leading to a summit later this year, including during a possible Trump visit to Beijing in May.

The meeting underscores Beijing’s continued role in shaping regional dynamics on the Korean Peninsula at a time of heightened diplomatic activity involving major powers.

France, host of this year’s G7 summit, has scheduled the gathering in Evian-les-Bains from June 15 to 17. The dates were adjusted to accommodate an event Trump is hosting at the White House on June 14 to mark his 80th birthday, according to sources familiar with the planning.

Trump’s relations with several G7 leaders have deteriorated amid tensions over his administration’s war with Iran and broader disagreements on security and diplomacy.

He has also issued repeated criticism of NATO, a defense alliance that includes all G7 members except Japan.Sources said it was not yet confirmed whether Trump would attend the Evian summit, and his absence would risk undermining the meeting at a time when Washington has expressed skepticism about multilateral forums.

The invitation to Versailles, a 17th-century palace built under Louis XIV near Paris, is intended as a high-profile diplomatic gesture highlighting longstanding ties between France and the United States ahead of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations on July 4.

A senior White House official confirmed that Macron had extended the invitation, but said Trump had not yet decided whether to attend the G7 summit or the Versailles event.

Macron’s office declined to comment. A French official said planning for any bilateral visit remains at an early stage and that the format of the reception has yet to be finalized.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the two sides, along with China, committed to continued dialogue after seven days of negotiations in the western Chinese city.

The parties agreed to address key issues in bilateral relations, with terrorism identified as the central concern affecting ties.

“The three parties agreed to explore a comprehensive solution to the issues in the relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and clarified the core and priority issues that need to be addressed,” Mao said at a regular press briefing in Beijing.Both Afghanistan and Pakistan pledged they would not take actions that could “escalate or complicate the situation,” according to the Chinese readout.

Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said the talks concluded in a “constructive atmosphere,” focusing on security, bilateral relations and regional stability.

Writing on X, he thanked Beijing for facilitating the discussions and expressed hope the process would build trust and enhance cooperation.There was no immediate comment from Pakistan on the outcome of the talks.

The discussions were convened after fighting that began in February escalated into what Pakistan described as “open war,” including airstrikes inside Afghanistan, among them in the capital Kabul.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the conflict has displaced about 94,000 people, while roughly 100,000 residents in two Afghan border districts have been cut off from assistance since the violence began.

Despite the talks, Afghan officials have continued to accuse Pakistan of cross-border shelling, while Islamabad has long alleged that Afghanistan provides safe haven to militants, including the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, an insurgent group allied with the Afghan Taliban.

Kabul denies the operations.

During the call, the ministers reviewed recent developments and discussed ways to reduce tensions and restore regional security and stability, according to the statement posted on X.

The contact comes amid a fragile ceasefire announced earlier this week following heightened hostilities that saw Iran launch strikes against Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, in response to Israeli and U.S. military actions.

The exchange signals a potential diplomatic opening between Riyadh and Tehran at a time of sustained regional volatility, with multiple fronts of conflict continuing despite the truce.

Speaking alongside Syrian transitional President Ahmed Al-Sharaa in Berlin, Merz said both governments were seeking to create conditions that would allow more Syrians to return voluntarily to their homeland.

Germany hosts the largest Syrian diaspora in the European Union, with more than one million Syrians, many of whom arrived during the 2015–2016 migrant influx.“We are working jointly toward more Syrians being able to return to their homeland,” Merz said at a joint press conference.

Sharaa said Damascus and Berlin were exploring a “circular” migration framework that would allow Syrians to participate in rebuilding their country while retaining the option to remain in Germany.

Such a model would enable returnees to contribute to reconstruction efforts without permanently relinquishing the economic and social stability they have established abroad, he said.

Merz said Germany intended to support Syria’s reconstruction after years of civil war, adding that a German delegation would travel to Syria in the coming days to advance cooperation.

However, he stressed that deeper bilateral engagement would depend on progress toward establishing rule-of-law institutions.

“Many joint projects in the future will depend on our finding a state governed by the rule of law,” Merz said, adding that he was confident such conditions could be achieved following discussions with Sharaa.