New Delhi:India on Wednesday joined the fourth meeting of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan held in Moscow. The Moscow format - one of the several dialogue platforms that began in Afghanistan before the Taliban's Kabul takeover - consists of Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and India.
Joint Secretary in charge of the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division of the Ministry of External Affairs, J P Singh, represented India at the talks. Special envoys, senior officials from Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan also participated in the meeting.
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According to the statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, during the meeting, the participants discussed issues related to Afghanistan, including the current humanitarian situation and the ongoing efforts of various stakeholders to assist in intra-Afghan talks, formation of an inclusive government, efforts to counter threats of terrorism and ensuring regional security.
On the sidelines of the Moscow Format Meeting, the Indian delegation led by the Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran), and the Ministry of External Affairs also held discussions with special envoys of the participating countries. The meeting was announced earlier this month by Zamir Kabulov, Special Representative of the President of Russia for Afghanistan.
Kabulov had underlined that the conference would try to discuss some of the negative trends started by the Taliban in the last year.
