Moscow Talks Kick Off With Pakistan, Afghanistan Amid Strained Ties
China also hosted Pakistan-Taliban talks in Urumqi in April in an attempt to address differences between the two sides, but the engagement did not produce a breakthrough.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have come face-to-face at a key regional meeting in Moscow as the Moscow Format talks get underway today, providing another opportunity for dialogue at a time when relations between Islamabad and the Afghan Taliban remain strained over terrorism and cross-border security concerns.
According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) who confirmed the development to PPC Digital, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq will lead the country’s delegation to the eighth Moscow Format consultations on Afghanistan, where Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions are expected to feature prominently in regional discussions.
The Pakistani delegation also includes Naeem Iqbal Cheema, Director-General for Afghanistan, Iran and Türkiye at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Ubaid ur Rehman Nizamani; and Ambassador to Russia Faisal Niaz Tirmizi.
Citing Afghanistan International, Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi will lead the Taliban delegation at the meeting. However, no bilateral meeting between Mohammad Sadiq and Muttaqi has so far been scheduled.
Asked about the possibility of such a meeting, a Taliban official told Afghanistan International: “We have not requested any meeting.”
Sadiq has also recently maintained that the presence of armed groups on Afghan territory cannot be ignored.
The Taliban rejects Pakistan’s position and has accused Islamabad of violating Afghanistan’s sovereignty.
The growing tensions have caused concern among regional countries, with Russia repeatedly stressing dialogue and a negotiated settlement of differences between Islamabad and Kabul.
China also hosted Pakistan-Taliban talks in Urumqi in April in an attempt to address differences between the two sides, but the engagement did not produce a breakthrough.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the eighth Moscow Format consultations will focus on political and economic cooperation between Afghanistan and regional states, alongside strengthening joint efforts against terrorism and drug trafficking.
Besides Pakistan, the 8th Moscow Format brings together Afghanistan, Russia, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, while Belarus and Egypt are attending as guest countries.
With relations between Islamabad and the Taliban at a difficult point, the October 5 gathering provides another regional diplomatic opening. Whether it produces direct Pakistan-Taliban engagement remains uncertain, but Moscow has made clear that it wants its platform to help move the two sides away from confrontation and towards dialogue.
