The situation in Afghanistan is rapidly degrading, and in current conditions, there are real risks of instability spill over to neighboring countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday at the plenary session of the international conference "Central and South Asia: regional interconnectedness. Challenges and Opportunities."
"Unfortunately, in recent days we have witnessed a rapid degradation of the situation in Afghanistan. In light of the hasty withdrawal of US and NATO contingents, the uncertainty of the military-political situation in and around this country has sharply increased. The Afghan crisis exacerbates the terrorist threat and the problem of drug trafficking, which has reached unprecedented levels," he said. - "It is clear that under current conditions there are real risks of instability spilling over into neighboring states".
Lavrov stressed that the threat of such a scenario is a serious obstacle to Afghanistan's involvement in regional cooperation. We assume that plans for the promotion of transport, logistics and energy projects linking Central and South Asia should fully take into account the security situation on the ground," the Minister said. - "Only with a comprehensive settlement of the intra-Afghan conflict can we count on the successful implementation of economic undertakings and initiatives involving Kabul".
The Russian Foreign Minister stressed that achieving lasting peace in Afghanistan should remain a priority of collective efforts both in the region and in the international arena.
Involvement of influential players in the troika format
The possibility of including a number of influential external players in the format of the expanded "troika" on Afghanistan (Russia, the US, China, Pakistan) is being discussed now, Lavrov clarified.
"Only direct, inclusive inter-Afghan negotiations with the help of international partners can lead to long-term peace. The well-proven mechanisms of the Moscow format, SCO-Afghanistan contact group and also the extended "troika" of Russia, the US, China and Pakistan are designed to create the necessary conditions for movement in this direction. Other influential external players may join this troika, we are now discussing this possibility with our colleagues," he said.
The Minister noted that Moscow is interested in assisting the dialogue of the conflicting parties in Afghanistan. "I would like to confirm Russia's interest in assisting the dialogue of the warring Afghan parties with the aim of ending the long-standing war and establishing Afghanistan as a peaceful, independent and neutral state," Lavrov continued.
In his words, Russia expresses its readiness for broad international cooperation to achieve a quick settlement in Afghanistan. "We are especially grateful to our Uzbek friends and all other colleagues who are contributing to the collective efforts to promote the peace process," the Minister added.
Earlier, Russian Presidential Special Representative for Afghanistan and Director of the Second Asia Department of the Foreign Ministry Zamir Kabulov said that a new meeting of the Moscow format on the Afghan peace settlement will take place when all the necessary conditions are created for it. In her turn, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted that Russia does not exclude the possibility of holding such a meeting and is ready to provide a platform for the dialogue of the Afghan parties in case of a request.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS