Moscow format meeting on Friday to focus on Daeash network in Af-Pak region

Russia will host fresh round of Moscow-format consultations on Afghanistan on Friday with India’s presence. Issue of Daesh spreading its network to Eurasia will be among key items on agenda.

A spokeswoman for the foreign ministry in Moscow said Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi would attend the October 4 meeting.

Maria Zakharova told a media briefing, “The sixth regular meeting within the Moscow format of consultations on Afghanistan … will be held in Moscow.”


Zakharova added Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov would meet his Afghan counterpart on enhanced cooperation between Moscow and Kabul.

The Afghan delegation, headed by Muttaqi, has left Kabul for Moscow on Wednesday to participate in the consultations.

Earlier, Russian Ambassador Dmitry Zhirnov had met Muttaqi in Kabul and invited him to attend the sixth Moscow-format meeting.

India will be represented at the meeting by JP Singh, who heads Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division in MEA and is among India’s foremost experts handling the region. He might meet Muttaqi on sidelines.

Russia has emerged as a key player in Afghanistan following US withdrawal but Moscow remains worrier with Daesh network spreading into Central Asia and Russia from Afghanistan-Pakistan region. India is also concerned with the Daesh some of whom have been trained in Pakistan.