India Narrative says India, Russia and Iran had a trilateral meeting in Moscow on November 16 to discuss issues related to resolving the turbulent situation in the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
The first meeting of a new Moscow-backed troika was reportedly held on the sidelines of the Moscow Format on Afghanistan.
Earlier speaking to India Narrative, Special Representative of the President of Russia for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, cited several reasons as to why Moscow welcomed India’s decision to open a diplomatic presence in Kabul, and the need for New Delhi’s presence in a regional grouping to address the Afghanistan situation.
“I am completely supporting the move (by India). Let us be modest but it is a good step ahead. Now that the American approach and stand is very destructive, (they) will try to take revenge from Taliban first of all, fully supporting Tajik resistance minority, money wise, weapon wise. Of course they cannot provide a lot as they do not have the capacity to do it. But they are doing their best. But again that would mean restarting the civil war, (opening) bases in Afghanistan, which we don’t want. We don’t maybe like the Taliban that much but we do not have different situations and a different society. We have to live what we have,” Kabulov was cited as saying by India Narrative.
The Russian diplomat reportedly explained that Moscow was looking for a “regional solution” to address the Afghan situation. He said apart from Russia, India, China, Iran and Pakistan were the key players in Afghanistan. “We have the Moscow format, but we need a core grouping of those who can deliver.”
