Pakistan, Taliban Discuss Security, Trade at Moscow Talks

DID Press: Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan held a 90-minute meeting with Amir Khan Muttaqi, Taliban’s acting foreign minister, on the sidelines of Moscow Format meeting, discussing trade, security, and regional cooperation.

The talks took place as the annual Moscow Format focused on regional opposition to a possible U.S. return to Bagram air base in Afghanistan.

Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, said on Tuesday that he met Muttaqi in Moscow to discuss ways to expand bilateral cooperation in trade, transit, regional security, and economic development. Pakistan’s ambassador to Kabul also attended the meeting.

Sadiq wrote on X social media platform that the two sides discussed using regional trade corridors to strengthen economic stability and sustainable development.

Security issues, including threats from terrorist groups operating in the region, were also a key focus of the meeting. Both sides emphasized joint efforts to secure transit routes and combat smuggling and other illegal activities.

The Moscow Format meeting was held on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, with representatives from 10 countries including Russia, Iran, China, Pakistan, India, and the Central Asian republics.

The main theme of the meeting was opposition to the establishment of foreign military bases in Afghanistan, following reports that the United States might seek to regain access to the Bagram air base.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at the opening of the session that the creation of any foreign military infrastructure in Afghanistan is “unacceptable.”

For his part, Amir Khan Muttaqi denied the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan and said the country posed “no security threat” to its neighbors.

This year’s Moscow Format marked the first time a Taliban delegation participated as a full member. Last year, Muttaqi attended the meeting only as a guest.