Moscow meet asks US to unfreeze Afghanistan funds

New Delhi, November 17

India participated in the 10-member Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan which sought unfreezing of Kabul’s $9.5 billion foreign assets seized by the US and asked the Taliban to form an inclusive government.

The 10 countries, none of which had sent the military to suppress the Taliban after the 9/11 attacks, were meeting after over a year in Moscow. “We all see the situation in Afghanistan the same way, and we all unequivocally support the early formation of an ethno-politically inclusive government in this country,’’ said Russia’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov. The participants included representatives from India, Pakistan, Russia, China, Iran and all five Central Asian countries.

The participants discussed issues related to Afghanistan, including the current humanitarian situation and the ongoing efforts of various stakeholders to provide assistance, intra-Afghan talks, formation of an inclusive and representative government and efforts to counter threats of terrorism and ensure regional security, said an MEA statement.

On the sidelines of the Moscow Format Meeting, the Indian delegation led by JP Sigh, MEA’s Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran), also held discussions with special envoys of the participating countries. According to Kabulov, the talks were also important in order to show the Afghan authorities that friendly neighbouring countries were ready to cooperate with them, but called for the Taliban to take into account their approaches.