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Lavrov opens Moscow Summit, says Afghan conflict is fueling extremism
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov officially opened Thursday’s landmark peace summit in Moscow which has brought together representatives of the Afghan Republic and the Taliban, along with other key stakeholders, in a concerted push by the foreign community to accelerate the peace process.
Addressing the opening of the meeting Lavrov said insecurity in Afghanistan is fueling the rise of extremist groups, including ISIS.
He said this will threaten the region and increase terrorism and in turn called on the United States and the Taliban to stick to commitments sealed in the Doha Agreement signed in February last year.
Lavrov said the Doha process has not yielded positive results for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan but that Russia expects progress at the Moscow meeting. “At the same time, we are seeing the situation (conflict) get worse,” he said.
Lavrov said Russia is particularly concerned about the fact that conflict traditionally intensifies in spring and summer in Afghanistan. “We see that both sides of the war are endangering the civilian population.”
Also attending the meeting is US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad, who said earlier Thursday that the Doha talks have for now been pushed to one side.
Delegates from Pakistan, China, Iran, Turkey and Qatar are also in attendance, while Abdullah Abdullah, Afghanistan’s chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation is leading the Afghan Republic’s 12-member team.
This team includes only one woman, Habiba Sarabi.
In a tweet Thursday afternoon, one of the Republic’s delegates Nader Nadery stated he hoped an “equal number of women on tables should become the norm.”
While Afghanistan has one woman present, the Taliban was devoid of any female representation.
The Moscow meeting is one of two that have been scheduled over the next few weeks – the other planned for Turkey next month and comes amid a new push by the US to get the two warring sides to find a political solution to the 20-year old war.
Terrorist activities continue to be observed along Afghanistan borders and along the India–Pakistan–Afghanistan corridor, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published on Monday.
Speaking to Russia-based media outlet TV BRICS, Lavrov pointed to ongoing concerns in the Middle East, including its Asian regions.
He highlighted the importance of collaboration with India at the United Nations to advance a global counter-terrorism convention.
Lavrov stated that while the draft convention has already been prepared, consensus on its adoption has not yet been reached.
Russia has repeatedly expressed concern about militant threats from Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has dismissed the concerns saying that it will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any country.
Noorullah Noori, Afghanistan’s Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs, held a phone conversation with Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, to discuss bilateral border cooperation.
According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening border collaboration, with a particular focus on the ongoing renovation and updating of border markers. They also agreed to accelerate joint technical and legal meetings to enhance coordination.
As part of the agreement, the next meeting of senior border officials from Afghanistan and Iran is scheduled to take place in Iran in 1405 (2026–2027).
The Director General of the OIC Mission in Kabul, Mohammed Saeed Alayyash, met on Sunday with Rolf Dieter Reinhard, Head of the German Liaison Office for Afghanistan in Doha and Acting Chargé d’Affaires of the German Embassy in Afghanistan.
During the discussion, both sides exchanged views on the latest developments in Afghanistan. They focused on the security situation, as well as the humanitarian and economic conditions faced by the Afghan people.
The two officials also reviewed recent political developments and broader challenges in the country, highlighting the need for continued international engagement and support.
The meeting emphasized the importance of ongoing cooperation and coordination between the OIC Mission and the German side in addressing Afghanistan’s challenges and in supporting efforts to promote stability and improve the humanitarian situation.
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