KABUL - Russia has announced it will host a regional conference on Afghanistan in Moscow in mid-February, with representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Iran and India in attendance.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made the announcement following a Tuesday meeting with his Afghan counterpart, Salahuddin Rabbani, in Moscow.
“The conference of regional powers on Afghanistan will convene in mid-February and we are expecting that our partners will be represented at a high level,” Lavrov said, adding most of the invited countries have already confirmed their participation.
Iran has not yet released a statement about possible participation in the conference.
Lavrov went on to highlight the need for the inclusion of the Taliban in the constructive dialogues in order to find a solution to resolve the security crisis in Afghanistan, prevent the spread of violence and the infiltration of ISIL terrorists in the country.
In a joint press conference with Lavrov in Moscow on Tuesday, Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani said “we discussed Russia’s support for Kabul government for becoming a permanent member to Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and welcome Moscow’s positive response in this regard.”

Lavrov further stressed Russia’s support for the Afghan government in fighting terrorism and drug trafficking, facilitating the Afghan-led peace process and the country’s request for permanent membership to SCO. (MNA)