Moscow (Voice of Russia): Russia, along with its regional partners, is ready to help reconcile Afghanistan and Pakistan, Russian Presidential Special Representative for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov told Izvestia, stressing that Western countries will not be involved in resolving the conflict between the two neighbors.
The statement comes after the latest meeting of the Moscow Format of Consultations on Afghanistan on October 5, where the escalating tensions between Kabul and Islamabad were the main topic, but disagreements between the two sides led to the failure to adopt a joint statement.
In late September, Pakistan reported an incursion by Afghan drones into its airspace. In response, the country’s air force struck targets on Afghan territory. The previous conflict occurred in February and March, when the countries also attacked each other from the air. UN officials reported hundreds of casualties on both sides.
Moscow is ready to facilitate a settlement between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated. Kabulov clarified that Russia is prepared to provide assistance "either independently or in conjunction with our other partners — provided that both sides request it." The diplomat explained to Izvestia that such a partner could be China, but that Western countries’ participation is out of the question.
"Western countries cannot be partners here," the Russian president’s special representative for Afghanistan responded to Izvestia’s question.
The diplomat emphasized that relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan "have deteriorated significantly, and tensions are not subsiding; both sides have taken an irreconcilable position, so there is no progress in sight."
The situation is complicated by deep historical reasons: Afghanistan does not recognize the so-called Durand Line, established by the British in 1893, as its official border. It divided the ethnic homeland of the Pashtuns, and Kabul considers these lands its own, while Islamabad insists on the inviolability of the borders.
On October 6, Islamic Emirate Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi also met with Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of the Russian Security Council. Shoigu stated that Russia is interested in a united and peaceful Afghanistan and is ready to cooperate with it in the fight against terrorism and drug-related crime.
Shoigu also proposed resuming cooperation with Afghanistan through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) via the existing contact group. This would help integrate Afghanistan into international transport and energy projects and strengthen security cooperation, particularly in the fight against extremist groups.
Earlier, Sergey Lavrov explained that Russia is interested in strengthening Kabul’s counterterrorism potential through logistical and expert assistance, as well as contacts between intelligence agencies and security agencies. In May, Russia and Afghanistan signed a military-technical cooperation agreement aimed at the repair and restoration of Russian and Soviet-made equipment currently in service in Kabul.
Last July, Russia became the first country in the world to officially recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the state proclaimed by the Taliban movement after regaining power in Kabul in 2021.
Trade turnover between Russia and Afghanistan has recently doubled. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk discussed prospects for cooperation in trade and energy at a meeting with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. Humanitarian aid deliveries will also continue, with the next batch arriving in the coming months, Lavrov stated.
Source: Izvestia
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