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Developments in Afghanistan

Russia, Afghanistan to hammer out joint projects in energy sector — MFA

"The parties stressed mutual interest of Russia and Afghanistan in maintaining trusting political relations and increasing mutually beneficial trade and economic cooperation," the ministry said

MOSCOW, October 4. /TASS/. Russia and Afghanistan will hammer out joint projects in the energy sector, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The statement was made after a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Amir Khan Mottaki, the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the interim government of Afghanistan formed by the radical Taliban movement (banned in Russia) on the sidelines of the sixth session of the Moscow format of consultations on Afghanistan.

"The parties stressed mutual interest of Russia and Afghanistan in maintaining trusting political relations and increasing mutually beneficial trade and economic cooperation with a special emphasis on hammering out projects in the energy and agricultural sectors," the ministry said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry added that the parties discussed the Afghan settlement, as well as bilateral cooperation between Moscow and Kabul. During the conversation, the parties underscored the leading role of regional negotiation mechanisms on Afghanistan, primarily the Moscow consultation format, and defined the dictate of external forces on Afghanistan's internal development as counterproductive, the ministry said.

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