Moscow, October 6: Russia hosted a high-level meeting on Afghanistan on Monday, bringing together representatives of the Taliban government, India, China, Iran, Pakistan and several Central Asian nations for consultations on the situation in the war-torn country.
The talks came amid growing tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with both sides trading accusations over cross-border attacks and military operations.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov welcomed Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to Moscow. Lavrov congratulated him on what he described as the fifth anniversary of Afghanistan’s “liberation from the NATO contingent” and praised the Taliban government’s efforts to combat terrorism and drug trafficking.
Lavrov said the Taliban had made progress in tackling the Islamic State and other extremist groups, while stressing that Russia would continue providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.
Russia has sought to strengthen its influence in Afghanistan and the wider region by hosting regular consultations involving the Taliban and neighbouring countries.
In July 2025, Russia became the first country to formally recognise the Taliban government, after removing the group from its list of outlawed organisations.
Lavrov also warned against any deployment of NATO military infrastructure in Afghanistan or neighbouring countries, calling such a presence “categorically unacceptable”. He said Russia believed that historical experience showed that foreign military deployments could lead to greater instability and conflict.
Representatives from India, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan participated in the Moscow consultations.
Russia Offers to Mediate Afghanistan-Pakistan Tensions
Russia’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said Moscow was prepared to help ease tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Kabulov said Russia was ready to assist in ending the conflict through independent efforts or jointly with other partners if both sides requested mediation.
The Afghanistan-Pakistan dispute has intensified in recent months, with Pakistan carrying out airstrikes in several Afghan provinces and Afghan fighters conducting attacks across the border.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban government of providing shelter to militant groups, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad blames for numerous attacks inside Pakistan.
Pakistan’s envoy Mohammad Sadiq claimed that terrorism remains at the centre of Afghanistan’s security problems and accused the Taliban government of being linked to militant groups.
He said more than 4,700 Pakistanis had been killed in terrorism-related violence allegedly originating from Afghanistan over the past three years, while describing Pakistan’s military strikes as defensive and intelligence-based.
Taliban Rejects Pakistan’s Allegations
Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi rejected Pakistan’s accusations and condemned its military operations inside Afghanistan.
Muttaqi said Pakistani attacks had killed Afghan civilians, including women and children, and questioned whether the strikes had actually eliminated individuals considered security threats by Pakistan.
Despite Russia’s recognition of the Taliban government and growing diplomatic engagement with countries such as China and the United Arab Emirates, the Taliban administration remains relatively isolated internationally.
Its treatment of women and restrictions on their education and employment continue to be major points of concern for the international community.
