Moscow Format ends without statement as Pakistan, Afghanistan clash
The eighth edition of the Moscow Format regional consultations on Afghanistan ended without a joint statement after the Pakistani and Afghan delegations failed to agree on the final text, according to a media report on Tuesday. The meeting brought together special envoys and senior officials from Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, while Belarus and Egypt attended as guests.
Russian presidential envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said Moscow regretted that the participants could not agree on the final document. “When drafting the final joint statement, we encountered one problem, that problem was that our Afghan and Pakistani colleagues didn’t see eye to eye,” he said, according to Dawn newspaper.
The format, established in 2017, has become one of the main regional diplomatic tracks on Afghanistan. The failure to adopt a joint statement highlighted how the worsening dispute between Pakistan and Afghanistan is affecting wider regional efforts to build consensus on the country. The two sides’ tensions were among the main issues discussed at the meeting, and differences over terrorism and counterterrorism language ultimately blocked the joint document.
Kabulov said the Afghan side objected to references that placed Afghanistan in a terrorist context. Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, told the meeting that Islamabad wanted peace and stability in the region and had stayed engaged with the Taliban leadership through political and diplomatic channels. “Pakistan desires peace and stability in the region and has remained patiently engaged in political and diplomatic efforts aimed at addressing the menace of terrorism emanating from Afghan soil,” he said. He added, “However, it is unfortunate that Pakistan’s numerous goodwill gestures and highly responsible approach were misconstrued, resulting in increased terrorist attacks from Afghan soil, with the active support and backing of the Taliban Regime.”
Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi criticised Pakistan’s statements and actions towards Afghanistan, accusing Islamabad of using military pressure, refugees, students and transit routes as instruments of leverage. At the same time, he said the problems affecting ties between the two neighbours could be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
Russia offered to help reduce tensions, though Kabulov said resolving bilateral disputes was not the purpose of the Moscow Format. “Russia is ready to assist in ending this conflict in any possible, permissible way either on its own or in partnership with our other partners provided that both sides make such a request,” he said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who opened the meeting, backed the performance of the Taliban authorities, warned against any attempt by NATO to set up military infrastructure in Afghanistan or neighbouring countries, and said helping Kabul and strengthening Afghanistan’s counterterrorism capacity served regional interests.
The forum’s main goal is to promote national reconciliation in Afghanistan and support the quickest possible establishment of peace in the country, but this round ended without a joint statement because of disagreements between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
