Russia is waiting for a response from the Taliban (banned in Russia) to an invitation to participate in a Moscow meeting on Afghanistan, foreign minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters on Tuesday.
"A meeting of the Moscow format is scheduled for October 20. It is being prepared. We are now getting a reaction from those who have been invited to the meeting, and we are waiting for a reaction from the Taliban among others," he said. - "I hope they recognize the importance of the event".
Asked whether Russia would provide humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, Lavrov pointed out: "We together with a number of other countries want, particularly during the Moscow format meeting, to propose under the aegis of the UN to hold a conference on providing assistance, including humanitarian assistance, to this country."
Earlier, Zamir Kabulov, the Russian president's special representative for Afghanistan and director of the second Asian department of the foreign ministry, said that Russia had invited representatives of the radical Taliban movement (banned in Russia) to take part in the Moscow format meeting on October 20. The format was established in 2017 on the basis of a six-party consultation mechanism of special representatives of Russia, Afghanistan, India, Iran, China and Pakistan.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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Based on materials from TASS