Moscow [Russia], October 20 (ANI): Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday said that Russia regretted the absence of US officials from the Moscow Format Dialogue on Afghanistan after the Taliban seized power in the strife-torn country and the international community is urging the group to form an inclusive government.
“We deplore the fact that this time our American colleagues chose not to participate in this event. We have noticed that it is the second time when the US is evading the meeting uniting Russia, China, Pakistan. We hope that it has nothing to do with problems, and perhaps one of the reasons is the fact that the special representatives of the US in Afghanistan recently was replaced and we hope that they are in readiness to work on Afghanistan remains,” said Lavrov.
The United States said it would not join this round of talks in the Russian capital due to technical reasons but planned to do so in the future.
“We touch great importance to the work of this mechanism and consider it as one of the most relevant ones from the point of view of regional consensus and creating a shared understanding of further ways of development of the situation in Afghanistan and around it,” said Lavrov.
“The main unquestionable benefit of this format is that it unites Afghanistan with all neighbouring countries without exceptions and other influential states of the origin,” added Lavrov.
This comes after members of the Extended Troika format on Afghanistan met in Moscow on Tuesday and discussed common threats and humanitarian assistance to Kabul.
The representatives of 10 countries and a high-level Taliban delegation is taking part in the Moscow-format meeting on Afghanistan.
The Moscow format was introduced in 2017 on the basis of the six-party mechanism for consultations between special representatives from Russia, Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, Iran and India. Meanwhile, India has also confirmed its participation in the talks.
Afghanistan stabilised now, no country will be threatened from it: Taliban at Moscow meeting
The Taliban’s interim government’s Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi has said that Afghanistan is stabilised now and no country will be threatened by it, a media report said.
Speaking at the Moscow Format Dialogue on Afghanistan on Tuesday, Hanafi said that the Taliban will ensure that there will no threat, according to TOLOnews.
Calling on the international community to recognise the Taliban’s interim government, he emphasised that isolating Afghanistan benefits no one.
Asking the US to release Afghanistan‘s financial assets, Hanafi stressed that it has been proved that the pressure will not bring results, reported TOLOnews. Underlining that Afghanistan is stable now, he said that no country will be threatened by Afghan territory.
The representatives of 10 countries and a high-level Taliban delegation is taking part in the Moscow-format meeting on Afghanistan. The Moscow format was introduced in 2017 on the basis of the six-party mechanism for consultations between special representatives from Russia, Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, Iran and India. (ANI)
US refuses to release frozen assets of Afghanistan
The US has rejected to release the frozen assets of Afghanistan but assured that it is committed to providing Afghans with humanitarian aids and reiterated that the Taliban must facilitate the distribution process.
Underlining that the people of Afghanistan should not be harmed, US Deputy Minister of Finance Wally Adeyemo stressed that it is important to keep pressure on the Taliban, reported Khaama Press. “We will not let the Taliban access the money in an ongoing situation,” Adeyemo said to senators.
Emphasizing that the US is committed to providing Afghans with humanitarian aids he reiterated that the Taliban must facilitate the distribution process. “We will continue to assert our restrictions on Haqqani network and the Taliban, but will continue humanitarian aids to Afghan people,” added Adeyemo.
For over a month, the Taliban leaders have been calling the US to release its frozen funds but their call has always been denied on various grounds, according to Khaama Press. (ANI)
