Pakistan on Tuesday sought regional countries’ cooperation to counter threats emerging from Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s Special Representative to Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq addressed the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan in the Russian capital, which was also attended by Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.
The consultations, held at the level of special representatives and senior officials of Afghanistan, were attended by India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
For the first time, the Afghan delegation participated in the meeting as a member. Russia became the first country to recognise the Taliban government in July this year. A delegation from Belarus also attended the meeting as guests.
“I spoke about the urgent need for collective regional efforts to effectively counter terrorism and dismantle all terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil,” Ambassador Sadiq told the 7th meeting of the Moscow Format.
Sadiq said he also highlighted the importance of strengthening regional cooperation in political and economic fields, along with enhanced counter-terrorism and anti-drug collaboration.
Pakistan has long been pressing the Taliban rulers to take action against the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other Pakistani militant groups in view of the increase in violence after the [Taliban’s takeover][2] of Afghanistan in 2021.
The Taliban government insists it does not allow anyone to use Afghan soil against Pakistan. “Continued dialogue, cooperation, and coordinated actions remain essential to address these challenges and support lasting peace in the region,” he said.
The special representative also reaffirmed Pakistan’s “unwavering commitment to a peaceful, stable, and secure Afghanistan.”
In a joint statement issued at the conclusion of the meeting, the participants emphasised that Afghanistan should be supported to undertake comprehensive measures aimed at the elimination of terrorism and its eradication so that the country’s soil is not used as a threat to the security of neighboring countries and beyond.
“The parties underscored that terrorism constitutes a serious threat to the security of Afghanistan, the region and the wider world,” according to the statement, also issued by the Russian embassy in Islamabad.
The parties, in a veiled reference to the US and its NATO allies, also urged the countries mainly responsible for the current predicament in Afghanistan to earnestly fulfill commitments on the economic recovery and future development of the country.
The parties called for strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation at both bilateral and multilateral levels.
Attempts by other countries to deploy their military infrastructure in the landlocked nation were called unacceptable as this does not serve the interests of regional peace and stability.
The statement did not name any country, but the statement came in the wake of repeated statements by President Donald Trump regarding Bagram air base, which was central to the US military operations in Afghanistan for 20 years.
The Taliban have rejected Trump’s calls for handing over the strategic airbase.
The parties reaffirmed their unwavering support for the establishment of Afghanistan as an independent, united and peaceful state. The parties further noted the need for the development of economic and trade exchanges, investment cooperation of Afghanistan with regional countries and the international community.
They expressed their interest in developing regional economic projects with Afghan participation and promoting steady progress in fields such as healthcare, poverty alleviation, agriculture and disaster prevention.
The participants also supported the active integration of Afghanistan into the system of regional connectivity. The parties reiterated their commitment to continue humanitarian support to the Afghan people, and called on the international community to intensify the provision of emergency humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, while simultaneously reaffirming opposition to the attempts of politicising it.
Earlier, in a post on X, Sadiq Khan detailed the discussions that took place during the Quadrilateral Meeting of Special Representatives for Afghanistan, saying, “The participating states unanimously reaffirmed their steadfast commitment to a stable, sovereign, and peaceful Afghanistan, underscoring the necessity of a country free from the scourge of terrorism and external intervention.”
Voicing their concerns over the terrorist groups present in Afghanistan, the envoy went on to say that the participating countries agreed on “enhanced coordination and collaborative action” to fight against terrorism in the region.
Separately, Khan, in different meetings with his Chinese and Iranian counterparts, discussed regional security, counterterrorism cooperation, as well as humanitarian concerns in Afghanistan.
With his Iranian counterpart Muhammad Reza Bahrami, Khan held “ in-depth discussions on the latest developments in Afghanistan“, particularly terrorism, as per a statement posted on his X.
“Both sides emphasised the importance of continued dialogue and coordination to address common challenges,” he added.
Meanwhile, in a meeting with China’s Yue Xiaoyong, both countries underscored the “importance of a coordinated approach to promote lasting peace and stability in the region,” as per a statement posted on his X.
“The meeting underscored the strong partnership between Pakistan and China in addressing shared challenges and advancing regional development,” he added.
The envoy also held discussions with his Russian counterpart, Zamir Kabulov, focusing on measures to promote regional cooperation in Afghanistan.
Russian FM receives Muttaqi
Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and discussed the further strengthening of political relations between the two countries, the development of economic cooperation, and regional issues in a comprehensive manner, the Afghan Foreign Ministry said.
The Afghan Foreign Minister thanked the Russian Federation for its decision to officially recognise the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, describing it as a significant and historic development in the trajectory of bilateral relations.
He stated that the announcement of recognition has not only opened new doors for political and economic cooperation. He said the decision is also considered an important step towards Afghanistan’s active role in the international community.
The statement said the minister also emphasised the importance of mutual cooperation in the areas of combating narcotics, regional economic projects, and transportation corridors. On his part, the Russian Foreign Minister stated that the recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has created unprecedented opportunities in political, economic and international cooperation between the two countries, and “we will witness its positive results in the near future,” the Afghan statement said.
Mr Lavrov also discussed the prevention of drug trafficking, strengthening security and other areas and praised the efforts of the Islamic Emirate in this regard and emphasised that besides strengthening bilateral relations, effective use should also be made of regional mechanisms like the Moscow Format.
He commended the achievements and independent stance of the Islamic Emirate, considering them beneficial for the region, according to the statement.
Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan
At today’s meeting, Afghanistan will be represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi, who left for Moscow on Monday.
The deputy spokesperson for the Afghan foreign minister, Hafiz Zia Takkal, said in a statement that “this marks the first time the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s foreign minister is participating in the Moscow Format as an official member.”
In July, Russia became the first country to formally recognise the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
According to Takkal, Afghan FM Muttaqi is “expected to present Afghanistan’s position on enhancing relations between Afghanistan & the broader region.”
Muttaqi is also expected to hold a separate meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the event, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
Their discussions will focus on current issues of bilateral cooperation, she said, adding that the meeting will be held behind closed doors.
“Priority will be given to promoting Afghan national reconciliation and expanding practical cooperation between regional states and Kabul in the political, economic, counter-terrorism, and anti-drug fields,“ she said.
In previous meetings, the Moscow Format Consultations have urged the Afghan government to take “viable and verifiable actions in fulfilling the international obligations and commitments made by Afghanistan to fight terrorism, dismantle and eliminate all terrorist groups equally and non-discriminatory and prevent the use of Afghan territory against its neighbours”.
Pakistan is an active member of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan. It has been a part of the format since 2016, when it first began.
