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Russia, China, Iran and Pakistan support national reconciliation in Afghanistan

After the United States announced the end of its military operation in Afghanistan and the pullout of its troops, the Taliban stepped up their offensive

MOSCOW, September 16. /TASS/. The foreign ministers of Russia, China, Iran and Pakistan held a four-way meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) summits to particularly reaffirm the importance of achieving national reconciliation in Afghanistan, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"A four-way meeting on the situation in Afghanistan was held between Russia, China, Pakistan and Iran in Dushanbe on September 16 on the sidelines of the SCO and CSTO summits. Approaches were compared on issues of facilitating establishment of peace, stability and security in Afghanistan, while the necessity to establish national reconciliation in the country was stressed," the statement reads.

After the United States announced the end of its military operation in Afghanistan and the pullout of its troops, the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) stepped up their offensive. On August 15, Taliban fighters swept into Kabul without encountering any resistance, and gained full control over the Afghan capital. Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani stepped down and fled the country. The Taliban announced a new government on September 7.