Taliban Say Want To Partake In Multilateral Meeting On Afghanistan In Moscow Next Week

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th February, 2023) A representative of the Taliban (under UN sanctions over terrorist activities) should take part in a meeting of secretaries of the security councils on the Afghan issue, scheduled to take place in Moscow next week, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said on Sunday.

"The Islamic Emirate (of Afghanistan) has not yet been invited, but those meetings that discuss Afghanistan, Afghanistan should be included to defend its position and discuss the issues," Mujahid said, as quoted by the Tolo news broadcaster.

On Saturday, Russian special presidential envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov told Sputnik that Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani is expected to take part in the meeting among other high ranking security officials from the region.

The last round of multilateral consultations of secretaries of the security councils on the Afghan issue took place in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, in May 2022, with the participation of representatives from India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.