Lavrov says Daesh, al-Qaeda are trying to take advantage of instability in Afghanistan

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday, 20 October, said that the situation in Afghanistan following the change of power in Kabul remain unstable and terrorist groups, namely Daesh and al-Qaeda, are trying to use that to their advantage. While speaking at the Moscow Format meeting between 10 countries and with the “top dignitaries” of the Taliban government, Lavrov stated that the terrorist organisations are once again trying to raise their heads making “daring and bloody forays in various parts of Afghanistan”. 

During the discussions, the Russian Foreign Minister suggested that among the main causes of the existing instability are humanitarian problems, socio-economic and financial issues, as well as the lack of international recognition of the new authorities in Kabul. Lavrov went on to note that at the moment, there is no alternative to the current balance of power in the war-torn nation. He also discussed the issue of the possible use of Afghan territory as a base for attacks on other nations, especially its neighbours, with Kabul. 

Russia urged the world to provide financial aid to the Taliban in a bid to avoid a global refugee crisis. Moscow also condemned the United States' absence from the 'extended troika' meeting on Tuesday, calling it 'deplorable’. Addressing the dignitaries, Lavrov said, "We attach great importance to the work of this mechanism. We deplore the fact that the US chose not to participate in this meeting. 

He added, "We are convinced that the world needs to provide aid to the Taliban so that we can avoid refugees mobilization."

Troika meeting

Notably, the high-level dialogue between the Taliban and the 10 nations was held a day after an 'extended troika' meeting was hosted by Moscow on Tuesday. Representatives from Russia, China and Pakistan attended the meeting while the United States decided to skip it. The extended troika meeting was held to exchange views on “common security threats" and to give a platform to the nations to express their joint interest in providing Afghanistan with "urgent humanitarian and economic assistance”, the Russian foreign ministry said.

The US state department had reasoned its absence saying that it was backing out due to logistical reasons."We will not participate in the Moscow talks. The Troika Plus has been an effective, constructive forum. We look forward to engaging in that forum going forward, but we're not in a position to take part this week," US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.

(Image: AP)