The seventh meeting of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan (MFC) will convene on Tuesday in Moscow. Participants are expected to discuss measures to facilitate the Afghan national reconciliation process and enhance cooperation between regional states and Kabul across all areas of interstate relations.
The Moscow Format on Afghanistan comprises Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova previously announced that a Belarusian delegation has also been invited as a guest, while core participating states will be represented by senior officials and special presidential envoys.
According to Zakharova, priority attention during the talks will focus on promoting the settlement of Afghanistan's internal political situation and expanding practical ties between regional states and Kabul in political, economic, counterterrorism and anti-narcotics spheres. A joint statement is anticipated following the discussions.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will open the seventh MFC meeting and hold a separate meeting with Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on its sidelines. The closed-door meeting is expected to address current bilateral cooperation issues.
Diplomats will likely also address US President Donald Trump's recent statement threatening "bad things" should Afghan authorities refuse to hand over the Bagram airbase to the American side. The Russian Foreign Ministry has already responded to Washington's pressure, stating that the White House is well aware that "the Afghan people, who won their freedom in the struggle against NATO forces, will not compromise their national sovereignty in response to ultimatums."
About the Format
The Moscow Format was established in 2017 based on a six-party consultation mechanism involving special representatives from Russia,Afghanistan, India, Iran, China and Pakistan. Its first meeting on April 14, 2017, brought together deputy ministers and special representatives from 11 countries, including Afghanistan. The format's primary objective is to promote national reconciliation in Afghanistan and expedite peace establishment in the country. The previous sixth meeting took place in Moscow in October 2024, featuring Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi from the Taliban-formed interim government as the guest of honor.
On April 17, Russia's Supreme Court granted the Prosecutor General's administrative claim to suspend the ban on the Taliban's activities in Russia. As noted by the Russian Foreign Ministry, removing the terrorist designation from the movement paves the way for establishing comprehensive partnership with Kabul, conducted in the interests of both Russian and Afghan peoples.
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Based on materials from TASS