UNITED NATIONS, September 24. /TASS/. Russia expects to discuss ways of overcoming the difficulties that Afghanistan is facing at the moment with its partners in the Moscow group that brings together Afghanistan’s neighbors and other nations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.

"The Moscow Format will gather in [the Volga Area city of] Kazan instead of Moscow. We expect a conversation on how neighboring countries can help Afghanistan in overcoming its current difficulties," Lavrov told reporters at a news conference, held on Saturday to sum up the results of his work at the 78th UN General Assembly.

The Moscow group on Afghanistan will meet in Kazan on September 29. Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the meeting would discuss the current situation in Afghanistan, intra-Afghan reconciliation, regional security and post-conflict reconstruction. A joint statement is expected to be adopted.

The Moscow group on Afghanistan comprises Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Its previous meeting took place in November last year.