ROME, August 27. /TASS/. Russia is ready to look at Italy’s idea of involving the Group of Twenty in the Afghan settlement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday after talks with his Italian counterpart, Luigi Di Maio.
"We want to understand how our Italian friends see the Group of Twenty’s role, what added value they think the use of this mechanism will bring. They promised to share a concept document where it will be explained," he said. "We will be ready to look at concrete proposals of the Italian side about a possible role for the Group of Twenty."
The Russian minister noted that the Italian side insists on five principles to be guided by when settling the situation. "As far as I understand, the fight against terrorism is in fifth place and the first four principles are about something else. I think our priorities will be somewhat different. What matters most for us is to ensure the security of our allies at Russia’s southern borders who have direct, open borders with Afghanistan," Lavrov stressed.
He noted that five Central Asian countries, Iran, and Pakistan, who are not G20 members should be involved in the Afghan settlement effort. "Such a discussion will not be fully valid without them," he added.