On October 7, local time, the seventh meeting of the “Moscow Format” consultations on Afghanistan was held in Moscow. Russia received the Taliban delegation attending the meeting. Before the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov met with Afghan Foreign Minister Mottaki to exchange views on issues such as bilateral relations.
In his opening remarks, Lavrov explicitly warned that the deployment of military facilities by non-regional countries in Afghanistan and its neighboring countries, regardless of the pretext, is “absolutely unacceptable,” stating that history has proven that a foreign military presence can lead to instability and new conflicts. This statement is believed to be related to recent US moves, including the threat to “return Bagram Air Base,” which was met with widespread opposition.
The Taliban also stated that it would not allow any foreign bases, including Bagram Air Base, to be deployed on its territory. Lavrov also urged Western countries to lift sanctions on Afghanistan, return frozen assets, and assume responsibility for post-war reconstruction. He also stated that Russia would increase its humanitarian aid to Afghanistan without political conditions.
