NEW DELHI: Ahead of Afghan Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s visit to India later this week, Russia has called for Afghanistan’s full integration into regional political and economic frameworks.
The seventh round of the Moscow Format talks opened in Moscow on Tuesday with Taliban representatives attending as official participants for the first time.
Indian ambassador to Russia, Vinay Kumar, is representing the country at the event, and Muttaqi will be on a visit to India on October 9 and 10.
Addressing the multilateral gathering, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the long-term security and development of the region depend on Kabul’s direct involvement in joint initiatives.
“We proceed from the premise that ensuring the security and well-being of our region presupposes Kabul's involvement in political processes, in multilateral associations, and in the implementation of joint economic projects,” Lavrov said.
The talks brought together senior officials from Russia, India, Iran, China, Pakistan, and five Central Asian countries -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Belarus also joined the meeting as an invited delegation.
Marking a diplomatic shift, Muttaqi participated as an official delegate of the Taliban-led interim government, the first time the group has been formally included in the forum since returning to power in August 2021.
Russia, which recognised the Taliban administration in July, has since lifted restrictions on bilateral cooperation and is encouraging regional partners to follow suit. Lavrov credited the Taliban with maintaining internal security and confronting terrorist threats despite “significant external pressure and a modest state budget.”
In a direct warning to the West, Lavrov reiterated Russia’s opposition to any foreign military presence in Afghanistan or neighbouring states, stating: “The deployment of military infrastructure by third countries on Afghan territory, or in neighboring states under any pretext, is unacceptable.”
Russia’s special envoy to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, dismissed speculation around U.S. interest in reclaiming Bagram Air Base, calling it “nonsense” and confirming the topic was not under discussion.
Lavrov also pressed Western nations to stop conditioning humanitarian assistance on political terms, saying the burden of Afghanistan’s reconstruction lies with those who “inflicted decades of damage.”
He also spoke about the ongoing humanitarian crisis, noting that more than half of Afghanistan’s population, around 22 million people, need assistance, and 21 million lack access to clean water and basic healthcare.
“Russia, for its part, will continue to provide and increase humanitarian assistance to the Islamic Emirate,” he said.
With Taliban participation now formalised, the Moscow Format that was established in 2017 as a platform for regional dialogue on Afghanistan is expected to deepen discussions on reconciliation, economic cooperation, and regional integration.
