India to participate in Moscow Format meet on Afghanistan today

Moscow: India will participate in the Moscow Format meeting on Afghanistan to be held today. The meeting is being hosted by Russia. This is the first Moscow format dialogue since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in August. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had earlier said that India received an invitation for the Moscow Format meeting on Afghanistan and will be participating in it.

 

Russian Foreign Ministry in a statement yesterday said, representatives of ten nations



will take part in the Moscow format meeting. Discussion will focus on situation in Afghanistan, and formation of an inclusive government.

Taliban delegation will be headed by Abdul Salam Hanafi, deputy Prime Minister of the interim Afghan government.

 

The Moscow format was introduced in 2017 on the basis of the six-party mechanism for consultations between special representatives from Russia, Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, Iran, and India.