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Russia, Afghanistan discuss preparations for consultations

Moscow will host the consultations on September 4

MOSCOW, August 27. /TASS/. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov and Afghanistan’s ambassador in Moscow, Abdul Qayyum Kochai have had a meeting, in the course of which they discussed preparations for consultations on Afghanistan in the Moscow format, the Foreign Ministry said in a report.

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Envoy says Afghanistan has no plans to take part in Moscow talks

"In the course of the conversation, they discussed the pressing issues in Russian-Afghan ties, including the preparations for consultations on Afghanistan in the Moscow format," it said.

Moscow will host the consultations on September 4. The Foreign Ministry said earlier it had sent out the invitations to twelve countries, including the US, to take part but Washington had said it would abstain.

Also, Russia has invited leaders of the political office of Taliban [banned in Russia at the decision of the Supreme Court] which is located in Doha, Qatar.

On August 23, the Afghan President’s special envoy for Central Asia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, Mohammad Shakir Kargar, told TASS Kabul was not considering participation in the Moscow-format talks.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in this connection it hoped that Afghan representatives would come to Moscow.

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