Russia Committed To Promoting 'Troika Plus' Talks On Afghanistan - Lavrov

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th November, 2020) Russia is committed to promoting the "troika plus" format of talks on Afghanistan and cannot rule out other countries joining, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday.

"We are committed to promoting intra-Afghan talks in the 'troika plus' format with the participation of Russia, the United States and China, as well as Pakistan. Other partners may also be invited to engage in that work at a later stage," Lavrov said at a pledging conference.

The minister has added that once the talks are complete, the international community will have to actively facilitate the country's development afterwards.

"Russia, on its part, will be prepared to provide relevant support in various areas, such as combating terrorism and drug-related crime, military-technological cooperation, specialized and civic training of Afghan citizens and provision of humanitarian assistance as well as industrial and infrastructural projects of mutual interest," Lavrov said.

The intra-Afghan talks have been taking place in Qatar's capital of Doha since September. If successful, they may pave a way to political settlement after almost two decades of violent conflict in the country.