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Moscow Format Participants Urge Taliban to Combat Terrorism and Protect the Rights of Afghans

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The sixth round of Moscow Format talks concluded with calls on the Taliban to take action against terrorism and protect the fundamental rights of all Afghans, including women and ethnic groups.

The meeting took place on Friday, October 4, in Moscow, with the participation of Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and envoys from several regional countries, including China and India.

In a joint statement, the participants of the meeting expressed concern about the presence and activities of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, stating that they continue to pose a threat to global security.

They called on the Taliban to take “visible and verifiable” actions in fulfilling its international obligations to combat terrorism and prevent Afghanistan from being used against other countries.

The participants of the meeting stated that Afghanistan should be supported in addressing both the symptoms and root causes of terrorism and in eradicating it as soon as possible.

The Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan has raised security concerns among neighboring countries and the global community due to the resurgence of terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda, ISIS-K, and TTP, which pose significant threats to global stability.

Over the past three years of Taliban rule, the international community, particularly regional countries, has repeatedly called on the Taliban to take action and prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for terrorism.

In his opening remarks at the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that there are many active terrorist groups in Afghanistan, which continue to pose a threat to both regional and global security.

The Taliban, however, denies the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, with its foreign minister saying during the meeting that any concerns regarding terrorism in the country are “completely baseless.”

He claimed that ISIS-K, the regional branch of the Islamic State, has established training camps outside Afghanistan’s borders and is recruiting foreign nationals.

The participants of the Russian-initiated Moscow Format, as noted in their statement, urged the Taliban to adopt a more moderate and inclusive approach to governance, ensuring the protection of the fundamental rights of all Afghans, particularly women, girls, and ethnic minorities.

They also called on the Taliban to improve the welfare of the Afghan people, prevent further migration, and create conditions for their return.

The participants pledged to continue providing humanitarian support to the people of Afghanistan, urging the international community to scale up emergency assistance without politicizing it.

“The parties expressed interest in developing regional economic projects with Afghan participation, and promoting steady progress in such fields as medical care, poverty alleviation, agriculture, and disaster prevention, so as to help Afghanistan realize independent and sustainable development at an early date,” the statement reads.