Consultations on Afghanistan in Moscow format to continue, says Russian diplomat

MOSCOW, February 9. /TASS/. Consultations on Afghanistan in the Moscow format will be continued, Russian president’s special envoy for Afghanistan told TASS on Thursday. "We see this venue as ideal for discussing ways to settle the situation in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan," said Zamir Kabulov, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Second Asian Department. The Russian diplomat said all international partners recognize the importance of discussion on national reconciliation. "This is confirmed, in particular, by Tashkent’s initiative to host a ministerial conference on Afghanistan in March of this year, which generally repeats Moscow meetings as to the lineup," he added. Focusing on the possibility of the US joining the Moscow format, Kabulov stressed that "the doors remain open for them". "We expect that Washington will soon realize that putting stakes on coercing into talks has no prospects and that it is necessary to start a dialogue involving all interested partners," Kabulov summed up. Taking part in the regional consultations on Afghanistan in Moscow are representatives of Afghanistan, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The most recent round of consultations took place in April. Read more