Taliban recognition not in discussion ahead of Moscow meeting: Russian FM

Moscow [Russia], October 19 (ANI): Ahead of the Taliban's upcoming visit to Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday said the matter of recognizing the outfit as the legitimate government in Afghanistan is not on the current agenda.
"We encourage them to live up to the promises they made when they came to power, including ensuring that the government is inclusive not only along the ethnic lines, but also along the political lines, so that the full range of political beliefs of the society is reflected in the government's composition," Lavrov told reporters, as quoted by Sputnik.
Lavrov added that official recognition of the Taliban government has not yet been discussed and Moscow's stance on this matter has not changed.
This comes after members of the Extended Troika format on Afghanistan met in Moscow on Tuesday and discussed common threats and humanitarian assistance to Kabul.
"On October 19, a meeting of the special representatives of the Russian Federation, China and Pakistan for Afghanistan took place in Moscow. The participants exchanged views on common security threats, expressed joint interest in providing Afghanistan with urgent humanitarian and economic assistance," Sputnik reported citing the Russian Foreign Ministry statement.
Russia on Tuesday said that the representatives of 10 countries and a high-level Taliban delegation will take part in the Moscow-format meeting on Afghanistan.
The meeting hosted by Russia will take place on Wednesday. During the meeting, the discussion will focus on the military and political situation in Afghanistan, the formation of an inclusive government and the international effort to prevent a humanitarian crisis, Sputnik reported.
"On October 20, Moscow will host the third meeting of the Moscow format of consultations on Afghanistan. Representatives of 10 regional countries and a high-ranking delegation of the Taliban movement, representing Afghanistan, plan to participate in the event. Russian Federation Foreign Minister Lavrov will deliver an address to the participants of the meeting," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Moscow format was introduced in 2017 on the basis of the six-party mechanism for consultations between special representatives from Russia, Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, Iran and India, the Russian news agency reported.
Meanwhile, India has also confirmed its participation in the talks. (ANI)