India to take part in Moscow meet on Afghanistan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 15

India is slated to attend the new Moscow format meeting on Afghanistan scheduled for September 29 in Kazan, Russia, where the Taliban will also be a participant unlike the meeting last November where it was excluded.

The Russian special envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said that the meeting would focus on the topic of inclusivity of the current Afghan government, counterterrorism and drug-related crime. “So far, we have seen (no progress on this issue). This is why we convene in order to continue our work,” Kabulov told TASS.

Taliban to participate

• The Taliban will also be a participant unlike the meeting last November where it was excluded. It had protested in this regard
• The Afghan Government considers the meet important and feels differences with other nations could be resolved through dialogue

Earlier, Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov had requested from Kabul that Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Islamic Emirate’s acting Foreign Minister, attend the Moscow format meeting.

The current Afghan Government considers the meeting important and feels differences with other countries could be resolved through dialogue. In November, the Taliban had protested against the meeting being held without its representatives.

“At the meetings, there should be a spirit of cooperation with Afghans and resolving conflicts through dialogue. The Islamic Emirate prefers that all problems, concerns or demands should be shared with us and discussed directly,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate.

The development comes as China appointed a new ambassador to Afghanistan, Zhao Xing. Xing was the first ambassador appointed since August 2021 when the Islamic Emirate took over as foreign forces withdrew.

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