Taliban, Pakistan to join Moscow Format talks on Afghanistan

Taliban and Pakistani officials are set to attend the eighth Moscow Format meeting on Afghanistan on Monday, as regional countries gather in the Russian capital for talks on Afghanistan and broader regional developments.

Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s foreign minister, traveled to Russia on Sunday to the talks that are expected to focus on political and economic ties, terrorism and drug trafficking.

The eighth meeting of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan is scheduled for Monday in the Russian capital. Senior officials and special representatives from Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are expected to attend, according to Russia’s Foreign Ministry. Belarus and Egypt have been invited as guests.

The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday that Muttaqi had left for Russia to participate in the gathering and would hold bilateral meetings with senior Russian officials during the visit.

Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, is expected to address the meeting and hold separate talks with Muttaqi on the sidelines, with bilateral cooperation on the agenda, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The gathering comes as Moscow has expanded its engagement with the Taliban. Russia became the first country to formally recognize the Taliban government in 2025, marking a significant diplomatic breakthrough for a government that had struggled for international recognition since returning to power in Afghanistan in August 2021.

The Moscow Format, a regional diplomatic mechanism focused on Afghanistan, will bring together several of Afghanistan’s neighbors as well as other regional powers. Russia said Monday’s talks would concentrate on political and economic cooperation with Afghanistan and efforts to strengthen regional coordination against terrorism and narcotics trafficking. A joint statement is expected at the conclusion of the meeting.

Pakistan said Sunday that it would also participate in the talks. Mohammad Sadiq, the Pakistani prime minister’s special representative for Afghanistan, and Pakistan’s ambassador in Kabul are expected to represent Islamabad.

The meeting provides another venue for regional governments to discuss Afghanistan at a time when its relations with some neighbors, particularly Pakistan, have been strained.

The Moscow Format was established in 2017 as a regional mechanism for consultations on Afghanistan. At last year’s meeting, Afghanistan participated as a full member for the first time, with Muttaqi leading the delegation.