MOSCOW, July 29. /TASS/. The extended Troika on the Afghan peaceful settlement comprising representatives of Russia, the United States, China, and Pakistan will hold its next meeting in Doha in early August, Special Russian Presidential Representative for Afghanistan, Director of the Second Asian Department at Russia’s Foreign Ministry Zamir Kabulov told an online briefing on Thursday.
"We are in constant contact over the phone with my counterpart [US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay] Khalilzad, who is now [staying] in Washington. Next week, we are planning to meet in Doha with him and with our Chinese and Pakistani counterparts for the next encounter of the extended Troika," the Russian envoy said.
"Beijing recently appointed its new envoy for Afghanistan whom I do not know and expect to meet him in Doha on August 11. We will continue substantive consultations both in the bilateral and extended Troika formats and are ready for broader talks with interested international actors," he added.
US President Joe Biden announced on April 14 that he had made a decision to complete the operation in Afghanistan that had been the longest overseas military campaign in US history. The situation in Afghanistan has started to deteriorate in the wake of the US decision as the Taliban militant group (outlawed in Russia) is intensifying its offensive in some areas of the country.
The Taliban movement has claimed that it has gained control of about 85% of the country's territory, including the border regions with five countries — Iran, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday that the situation in Afghanistan was quickly degrading and had gone out of the authorities’ control.