Afghanistan Peace Campaign
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described the failure of Afghanistan and Pakistan to agree on a joint statement at the eighth Moscow Format consultations as an “unpleasant” but predictable development, as tensions between the two neighbors overshadowed regional talks on Afghanistan.
Speaking at a news conference in Moscow on Tuesday, Lavrov said the disagreement should not be treated as a tragedy, arguing that the differences between Kabul and Islamabad had been foreseeable. The dispute prevented participants from adopting a final joint statement after the talks on October 5.
Lavrov attributed the strained relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan in part to the presence and activities of Islamic State and affiliated groups, which he said carry out attacks in both countries. He argued that the broader lesson was the need to end what Moscow describes as interference by countries outside the region.
The Russian foreign minister also linked the emergence of Islamic State to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and said additional militant groups emerged following NATO’s intervention in Libya. These comments reflected Moscow’s longstanding criticism of Western military interventions and were presented by Lavrov as part of his explanation of the region’s security problems.
The failure to issue a joint statement was earlier explained by Russia’s special presidential envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov. He said Afghan and Pakistani representatives disagreed over the wording of the draft, with the Taliban objecting to what it considered excessive references to Afghanistan in the context of terrorism. Kabulov said similar language had appeared in the previous year’s statement but that relations between Kabul and Islamabad had since changed.
The disagreement reflected a broader deterioration in Afghanistan-Pakistan relations. Pakistan has accused the Taliban authorities of allowing militants, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to operate from Afghanistan territory and stage attacks inside Pakistan. The Taliban rejects the allegation and has accused Pakistan of military aggression and interference in Afghanistan. Reuters reported that Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said at the Moscow talks that the two countries’ problems could be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
The absence of a joint statement underscored the widening gap between Kabul and Islamabad and highlighted the difficulty regional powers face in building consensus on Afghanistan’s security and political future. Russia has offered to help mediate between the two sides if both parties request assistance.