Moscow Format Ends Without Joint Statement, Calls for Kabul-Islamabad De-escalation

DID Press: The eighth meeting of the Moscow Format consultations on Afghanistan ended without a joint statement after Afghan and Pakistani representatives failed to agree on the wording of a final document. Despite the disagreement, participants called on Kabul and Islamabad to refrain from military action and pursue political and diplomatic solutions to their disputes.

Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s special presidential envoy for Afghanistan, said all participants had called on both sides to avoid military actions that primarily harm civilians and expressed readiness to help facilitate a political and diplomatic resolution. He said Russia was prepared to assist in ending the conflict through any appropriate means if both Afghanistan and Pakistan formally requested Moscow’s help.

Kabulov said the failure to adopt a joint statement resulted from disagreements between the Afghan and Pakistani delegations during negotiations over the text. According to him, the Taliban objected to language that referred to Afghanistan too extensively in connection with terrorism. He stressed that the Moscow Format would continue to operate despite the absence of a joint statement.

The meeting brought together representatives from Afghanistan, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, China, India and Central Asian countries, while Belarus and Egypt participated as guests. Regional security, political and economic cooperation, terrorism, and the escalating tensions between Kabul and Islamabad were among the key issues discussed.