Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has traveled to Moscow to participate in the eighth meeting of the Moscow Format on Afghanistan.

According to Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi is expected to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and other senior officials during his visit to discuss issues related to Afghanistan.

Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal, head of the ministry’s public relations department, said discussions at the eighth consultative meeting will focus on Afghanistan’s current situation and the country’s relations with the region.

Takal added that the Moscow Format meeting is scheduled to begin on Monday, October 5, in Moscow.

Abdul Latif Mansour, Afghanistan’s Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, says the Islamic Emirate considers the unjustified shedding of Afghan and Pakistani blood forbidden, as both sides are Muslims.

Mansour made the remarks at the inauguration of the Wakhan road in Badakhshan on Sunday, while responding to Pakistan’s recent attacks on Afghanistan.

He said some people become emotional over Pakistani bombings, but stressed that Afghanistan needs to become self-reliant enough to defend its citizens.

“We must build this system to the point where we become self-reliant and can defend every Afghan in such a way that we can neutralize the person causing harm in his own country,” Mansour said.

He acknowledged that the current system has not yet achieved full self-reliance, but said efforts are underway to strengthen Afghanistan’s ability to defend its people.

At the same time, Mansour stressed that the situation should not escalate into indiscriminate bloodshed.

“We consider the unjustified shedding of our own people’s blood forbidden, and we also consider the shedding of Pakistani blood forbidden because they are Muslims,” he said.

Pakistani military officials have repeatedly accused Afghanistan of allowing militant attacks on Pakistan to be planned or carried out from Afghan territory.

The Islamic Emirate has rejected the allegations, saying Afghanistan is not responsible for Pakistan’s security problems.

A 121-kilometer gravel road from the Sarhad-e Broghil in Wakhan district of Badakhshan to the Chinese border was officially opened today, Sunday, October 4.

Abdul Latif Mansour, Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, said at the inauguration ceremony that the road includes 66 culverts and four major bridges, while a total of 3,100 meters of retaining walls have been built along parts of the route.

According to Mansour, 365 million afghanis from the Islamic Emirate’s development budget were spent on the construction and graveling of the road.

Mansour described the project as politically, strategically and economically important.

Rahmatullah Najib, governor of Badakhshan, also said at the ceremony that security has been ensured across the province and that there are no security problems in any part of Badakhshan.