Use Of Russia's Moscow Format For Afghan Talks Should Be Welcomed - Pakistani Politician

Russia's plans to hold consultations in the so-called Moscow format to help facilitate a political settlement in Afghanistan should be welcomed by all sides as the framework accounts for all Afghan parties and stakeholders, Sehar Kamran, a member of Pakistan's Senate Forum for Policy Research,told Sputnik on Wednesday

ST. PETERSBURG (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th November, 2020) Russia's plans to hold consultations in the so-called Moscow format to help facilitate a political settlement in Afghanistan should be welcomed by all sides as the framework accounts for all Afghan parties and stakeholders, Sehar Kamran, a member of Pakistan's Senate Forum for Policy Research,told Sputnik on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow planned to use, among other things, the Moscow format to aid settlement efforts in Afghanistan. The initiative sees representatives from major stakeholders on the issue, including Afghanistan's neighboring countries and the United States, meet in Moscow for talks.

"The Moscow format has consistently been calling for a political solution to the Afghan crisis ... President Putin's statement that Russia plans to use this format for the settlement in Afghanistan should be welcomed by all because it encompasses all parties and stakeholders involved," Kamran said.

According to the politician, the two most pressing issues facing Afghanistan at the present moment are the conclusion of a peaceful diplomatic settlement, as well as the complete withdrawal of US and foreign troops.

"However, the focus should be laid that a power vacuum should not be left in Afghanistan as it will give way to non-state actors and destabilize the region and world at large," she said, adding that the peace deal between the Taliban and the US government "should be observed by all parties, in its true letter and spirit."

The United States has stated that it would withdraw troops from Afghanistan following the signing of a peace deal with the Taliban this past February. However, the withdrawal has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the surge in violence.

During his election campaign, US President Donald Trump said that he wanted to withdraw the country's troops from Afghanistan by Christmas. His national security adviser clarified at a later date that Washington was working to a May 2021 deadline.

The Taliban on Tuesday called on Joe Biden, the projected winner of the US presidential election, to observe the deal, which envisages the withdrawal to be completed by May, should his victory be confirmed.

Peace negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government got underway in the Qatari capital of Doha on September 12. Despite both sides expressing their desire for a ceasefire, little progress has been made to date.