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Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan on the Onset of the Moscow Meeting

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic of Afghanistan appreciates any country who supports Afghanistan in realizing peace, similarly, it stresses the peace process being led and owned by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Today’s Moscow Meeting, is not a follow up of the previous meetings (Moscow Format) held among sovereign states where the Government of Afghanistan also participated, as in today’s meeting the Taliban have also been invited. In accordance with the principles and decisions of the Tashkent Meeting and that of the Kabul Process, Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban must directly sit around the negotiation table. We emphasize the accepted principles of the Kabul and Tashkent meetings that is based on national and international consensus on the mechanism of dealing with the peace process and thus have not sent any representative to the Moscow Meeting. The High Peace Council participates in this meeting hosted by Russia, as a National but non-government institution, with a view to discuss the dynamics and details of initiating direct negotiations. As per the understanding between Afghanistan and Russia, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan hopes that this meeting leads to direct talks between the Government of Afghanistan and the Taliban and that the Taliban are not allowed to instrumentlaize this meeting.