Details Of Moscow Format Talks On Afghanistan Being Discussed Now -Russia Foreign Ministry

Details of the Moscow-format talks on Afghanistan's conflict are being discussed now, Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday at a press briefing.

ST PETERSBURG (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th September, 2018) Details of the Moscow-format talks on Afghanistan's conflict are being discussed now, Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday at a press briefing.

Earlier in the day, the Russian Foreign Ministry's team headed by the ministry's Second Asian Department Director Zamir Kabulov met with the Afghan delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Nasir Andisha with the parties having discussed the settlement efforts.

"The issue is being discussed and when we are able to announce any specific details and formats, we will provide more detailed information about that," Zakharova said.

She also said that it was incorrect to compare Russian diplomatic efforts on Afghan settlement with the previous US attempts to resolve the conflict.

"I do not think that the formats should be compared. I believe that one should focus on [making] each format, each kind of efforts bring results," Zakharova noted.

The spokeswoman added that the situation in Afghanistan escalated tensions in the region, boosting the security threat.

In August, the consultations on Afghanistan in the Moscow format scheduled for September 4 were postponed following a phone call between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The meeting was reportedly postponed over the reshuffle in the Afghan government.

Afghanistan has long been in a state of turmoil, with the government fighting the Islamic State (IS) terror group, outlawed in Russia, and the Taliban insurgency.