Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said disagreements between the Taliban and Pakistan prevented the Moscow Format meeting on Afghanistan from reaching a final document.
Lavrov said at a press conference on Tuesday, October 6, that the disagreements between the Taliban and Pakistan were an “unpleasant” development, but emphasized that he did not consider them a “disaster” and that such a development was foreseeable.
He added that tensions between the Taliban and Islamabad are partly linked to the activities of the Pakistani branch of the Islamic State and attacks carried out by the group in both countries.
Lavrov said the group carries out terrorist attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan and creates problems for both countries.
The Russian foreign minister emphasized that both the Taliban and Pakistan are interested in normalizing relations, and that Russia is also working to resolve the problems between the two countries.
He also said that one of the main lessons from the current situation is the need to end interference by countries outside the region in the affairs of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Lavrov linked the emergence of the Islamic State to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, adding that the terrorist organization later expanded to other parts of the world.
