Pakistan provides explanation over skipping Moscow security meeting on Afghanistan
Explaining reasons behind skipping recent regional security meeting on Afghanistan in Moscow, Pakistan said on Thursday it could contribute more at forums that “contribute constructively” to peace in Afghanistan,
“We will continue to participate in all these mechanisms to their full potential and will continue to engage with our partners to contribute to peace and stability in Afghanistan,” Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesperson, said in a press conference.
The fifth multilateral meeting of the secretaries of the Security Councils on Afghanistan held in Moscow on Wednesday was attended by senior security officials from India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Russian envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, had during his visit to Islamabad on January 25 extended the invitation to Pakistan. Pakistan’s foreign ministry had on that occasion emphasised the need for promoting “regional solutions through Moscow Format & neighbouring countries of Afghanistan”.
Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported on Friday that Islamabad skipped the recent meeting on Afghanistan in Moscow to protest India’s participation.