The Kabul Tribune (KT) — The eighth round of Moscow Format consultations on Afghanistan will be held in the Russian capital on Oct. 5, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Wednesday.
According to Russian media, the meeting will bring together
special representatives and senior officials from Afghanistan, India, Iran,
Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Russia,
Zakharova said at a briefing.
Belarus and Egypt have also been invited to participate as
guests, she said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to
address the participants during the consultations.
The Afghan delegation will be led by Afghanistan’s foreign
minister, who is also expected to hold separate talks with Lavrov on the
sidelines of the meeting, according to Zakharova.
The bilateral talks are expected to focus on current issues
in Russia-Afghanistan cooperation, she said.
The broader Moscow Format consultations are expected to
cover political and economic cooperation between Afghanistan and countries in
the region, as well as regional efforts to combat terrorism and drug
trafficking.
Zakharova said participants are also expected to adopt a
joint statement at the end of the meeting.
