The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Russia expressed regret Monday that participants in the Moscow Format consultations on Afghanistan failed to adopt a joint statement after the meeting, citing disagreements between Taliban and Pakistani representatives, TASS reported.
Zamir Kabulov, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special representative for Afghanistan, said the disagreement arose during negotiations over the wording of the proposed statement.
“When drafting the final joint statement, we encountered one problem — that problem was that our Afghan and Pakistani colleagues didn't see eye to eye. We regret this,” Kabulov told journalists, according to TASS.
Kabulov said Afghan representatives objected to references to Afghanistan in the draft in the context of terrorism. He noted that similar language had been included in the statement issued after last year’s meeting.
The Moscow Format can continue operating without a joint statement, Kabulov said, emphasizing that its primary purpose is to promote regional cooperation rather than resolve bilateral disputes.
“The Moscow Format remains as a platform, but it is not a platform for resolving bilateral disagreements; it is a platform for coordinating regional cooperation,” he said, according to TASS.
The Moscow Format was established in 2017 as a mechanism for consultations on Afghanistan involving Russia, Afghanistan, India, Iran, China and Pakistan. Its stated objectives include supporting national reconciliation and promoting peace in Afghanistan.
Representatives from Afghanistan, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan attended the latest meeting. Belarus and Egypt participated as invited guests.
