Taliban to Attend Upcoming Moscow Format Meeting as “Official Member”

Kokcha News Agency– The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed that a delegation led by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi will attend the upcoming Moscow Format meeting as an official member. This marks the first time the Taliban will participate in the forum in an official capacity. Dmitry Zhirnov, Russia’s ambassador to Kabul, met with Muttaqi and stated that Moscow welcomes the Taliban’s formal participation in the format.

In a statement released on Sunday, October 6, the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry described the group’s membership in the Moscow Format as a significant step and expressed hope that such frameworks will play a crucial role in building trust between Afghanistan and the region.

The sixth Moscow Format meeting on Afghanistan was held on October 4 last year, with representatives from Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan in attendance. At the time, Muttaqi attended as a “guest.”

Participants in the sixth Moscow Format meeting called on the Taliban to form a balanced, effective, and inclusive government that ensures “the fundamental rights and interests of all Afghan people, including women, girls, and all ethnic groups.”

Russia is the only country that has officially recognized the Taliban and has strengthened its political and diplomatic interactions with the group.

Muttaqi’s invitation to the Moscow Format meeting comes despite his inclusion on the United Nations Security Council’s sanctions list. It remains unclear whether he will receive an exemption to travel to Moscow.

Previously, Muttaqi’s planned visits to Pakistan and India were canceled due to his failure to obtain sanctions exemptions.