Russia invited to next Kabul Process Conference - Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW, February 28. /TASS/. Moscow has been invited to the third Kabul Process Conference, scheduled to be held in the Afghan capital on March 7, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday. "On March 7, the Afghan government plans to hold the third Kabul Process Conference dedicated to efforts aimed at building peaceful dialogue and the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan. Russia has been invited to the event and in fact, we are ready to support the Afghan government’s work to launch direct talks with the armed opposition and resolve all related issues, which include declaring a ceasefire, releasing prisoners and holding intra-Afghan dialogue on the country’s future political structure," she said. However, the Russian diplomat noted that those efforts had not produced visible results so far. "We are confident that under the current circumstances, the Moscow consultations on Afghanistan are the most appropriate platform for ensuring international assistance in launching intra-Afghan dialogue. We believe that it can help coordinate the efforts of the leading global powers and regional players, as well as of the opposing Afghan parties, in order to find a way out of the Afghan crisis," Zakharova emphasized. The first Kabul Process Conference, which took place in June 2017, involved 25 countries, including Pakistan, as well as members of international organizations, namely the United Nations and NATO. The goal was to find ways to resolve the years-long conflict. The second conference was held in February 2018. Read more