VANCOUVER, CANADA – Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a joint statement, emphasized the need for the U.S. and NATO to avoid re-establishing military bases in Afghanistan.
The joint statement, as reported by TASS news agency, underscored the position of the two leaders, stating, “The U.S. and NATO, having occupied Afghanistan for two decades, should abstain from any attempts to reintroduce military bases in the region.” This joint statement came after Putin’s recent visit to China.
In their statement, Putin and Xi stressed the need for the United States to take responsibility for Afghanistan’s economic and social challenges, actively support post-war reconstruction efforts, and initiate measures to release the country’s frozen assets.
Furthermore, the Russian and Chinese leaders expressed their readiness to intensify engagements with relevant partners on both bilateral and multilateral fronts. According to TASS, their shared objective is to assist Afghanistan in achieving independence, neutrality, unity, and peace, while eradicating terrorism and drug-related issues and fostering harmonious relations with neighbouring countries.
The joint statement emphasized, “The parties acknowledged and endorsed the positive and constructive role of regional initiatives in the political resolution of the Afghan crisis,” citing the Moscow Format consultations, Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries mechanism, the quadrilateral regional group comprising Russia, China, Iran, and Pakistan, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
The Moscow Format, established in 2017, operates as a six-party consultation platform involving representatives from Russia, Afghanistan, India, Iran, China, and Pakistan. This forum, with its inaugural meeting held on April 14, 2017, apparently aims to propel the national reconciliation process in Afghanistan and expedite peace-building efforts in the region.
The latest session of the Moscow Format, convened in September 2023, witnessed the participation of Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting Foreign Minister of the Taliban, in Moscow. Zamir Kabulov, the Special Representative for Afghanistan of the Russian President, affirmed to TASS the continuation of Moscow Format consultations throughout 2024.
