Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says Afghanistan and Pakistan are both interested in normalizing relations despite recent tensions between the two countries.

Speaking at a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday, Lavrov said the differences between Kabul and Islamabad had affected the recent Moscow Format meeting on Afghanistan, preventing the participants from reaching agreement on a final statement.

Lavrov described the failure to adopt a final document as “unpleasant” but said the situation should not be exaggerated.

He said Daesh poses a challenge to both Afghanistan and Pakistan, carrying out attacks in the two countries and creating problems for their governments.

“I have no doubt that both Afghanistan and Pakistan are interested in normalizing relations,” Lavrov said.

He added that Russia would continue efforts to help resolve the existing and emerging issues between Kabul and Islamabad.

Lavrov also called on countries outside the region to refrain from interfering in regional affairs.

He said Afghanistan and other countries in the region continue to face the consequences of what he described as “gross interference by Western countries,” which he said has contributed to the current challenges in the region.

Amir Khan Muttaqi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, met on Tuesday with Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of Russia’s Security Council, to discuss bilateral relations, regional security, and security cooperation.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate said the two sides also discussed counter-narcotics efforts and expanding security cooperation between Afghanistan and Russia.

Muttaqi, referring to the positive progress in political relations between the two countries, thanked Russia for recognizing the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and stressed the importance of strengthening security cooperation, regular consultations, and expanding economic and trade relations.

The Foreign Minister also said Afghanistan would continue its efforts to ensure regional security and combat narcotics, and supports expanding cooperation with regional countries through direct contacts and practical cooperation.

Meanwhile, Sergei Shoigu described Afghanistan-Russia relations as expanding in various areas and expressed satisfaction with Afghanistan’s efforts to maintain security and combat narcotics.

The Secretary of Russia’s Security Council emphasized that Moscow would continue political consultations and practical cooperation with Afghanistan.

Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk in Moscow to discuss expanding political and economic cooperation between the two countries.

The talks focused on strengthening trade, transit, regional connectivity and energy cooperation, as well as investment and other areas of mutual interest, Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement.

Muttaqi highlighted the positive trajectory of political relations between Kabul and Moscow and thanked the Russian leadership for what he described as its positive policy toward Afghanistan.

He said the existing political understanding should be translated into practical economic partnerships, stressing the need to expand trade and transit, attract Russian investment to Afghanistan, cooperate in energy and mining, and facilitate banking and payment mechanisms between the two countries.

Overchuk expressed Russia’s readiness to expand economic cooperation with Afghanistan, saying conditions are now in place for launching practical cooperation.

He also stressed the importance of expanding joint work in transit, transport, energy and other sectors, while pointing to a significant increase in bilateral trade last year. He expressed hope that further practical economic cooperation between the two countries would develop in the near future.