Russia says Taliban to attend Moscow format meeting on Afghanistan

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - The Taliban will take part in a meeting of the Moscow format on Afghanistan, slated for Oct. 20, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

Speaking at a press briefing on the sidelines of the third Eurasian Women’s Forum, Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said "a large Taliban delegation" will come to Moscow next week to take part in the third meeting of the Moscow format on Afghanistan.

The Moscow format is a negotiation mechanism established in 2017 to address Afghan issues. It includes Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, Iran, India, and other countries. It held several rounds of talks in Moscow in 2017 and 2018.

Russia is concerned over the activities of Daesh/ISIS in Afghanistan and expects "the new Kabul authorities" to prove their capability to defeat the terrorist group without external support, she added.

Turning to the G20 summit on Afghanistan, Zakharov said Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov and Presidential envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov have emphasized the necessity of forming a government comprising representatives of all ethnic groups.

“It was also noted that the states whose 20-year presence ended with the current deplorable state of affairs in Afghanistan are expected to take a responsible role in the post-conflict reconstruction of the Afghan economy,” she said.

The Russian officials also called for efforts to overcome the crisis in Afghanistan and its undesirable consequences such as the growth of terrorism, drug production, a new surge in the flow of Afghan refugees, and also the risk of terrorists under the guise of refugees infiltrating into the neighboring countries, primarily in Central Asia, she added.

Zakharova noted that "despite the fundamental changes in the internal political situation in Afghanistan," the mechanisms of the expanded troika and the Moscow format, which includes key countries of the region and the US, can effectively contribute to the process of inter-Afghan reconciliation and the formation of an inclusive government.