Russia to hold trilateral talks on Afghanistan

Russia along with Pakistan and China will hold secretary-level trilateral talks in Moscow on December 27 about restoration of peace in Afghanistan, the media reported.

"Russia is gravely concerned over expansion and growing influence of the Islamic State in Afghanistan and it wants to play an active role to bring different stakeholders to a negotiating table with reference to Afghanistan," said a statement by Pakistan's Foreign Ministry Office.

Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry will be representing the country at the Moscow talks, reported Tolo News on Sunday.

Zamir Kabulov, Russia's Foreign Ministry's Director of the Second Asian Department, had earlier declared the Taliban a potent armed political power.

He said that the Taliban and the Russian federation are bound by common ground in their campaign against the Islamic State (IS) terror group in Afghanistan.

He also said that the US has no clear strategy in Afghanistan and it only has a military and political presence in the war-hit nation.

Kabulov confirmed that Russia has been in contact with the Taliban, and said these contacts are aimed to ensure the security of Russian nationals political representatives in Afghanistan.

Kabulov also expressed satisfaction over growing ties between Russia and Pakistan.

--IANS

soni/vt