Russia calls for end to conflict in Afghanistan, stands for inclusive dialogue
Moscow, July 3 (Sputnik): Russia wants to see the decades-long armed conflict in Afghanistan end, and calls for an inclusive dialogue in the country involving all public and political forces to that end, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.
"This year marks the centenary of the establishment of diplomatic relations [between Russia and] Afghanistan. Russia is contributing to establishing a peaceful and independent Afghan state free of terrorism and drug crime. We stand for ending the military conflict in Afghanistan and launching an inclusive dialogue involving a wide range of public and political forces," Putin said at a ceremony in the Kremlin, where he received credentials from new ambassadors.
He added that Moscow was eager to continue working in this direction together with partners within the Moscow format and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)-Afghanistan contact group.
In May, Moscow hosted a conference marking 100 years of diplomatic relations between Russia and Afghanistan, which was attended by high-ranking Afghan politicians and key figures of the Taliban movement. It was followed by a second intra-Afghan conference, during which nationwide peace and ways to accelerate the settlement process were discussed.
The Russian capital has also hosted another dialogue platform for Afghan peace — the so-called Moscow-format talks. The last meeting in such a format happened in November and brought together officials from countries neighbouring Afghanistan, as well as delegations from the Taliban's political office in Doha and the Afghan High Peace Council.
Image credit: UNI
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