MOSCOW, December 5. /TASS/. Russia and India welcome close coordination between the two countries on Afghanistan and the fight against terrorist groups in that country, according to a joint statement released after the 23rd Russia-India summit.
"The sides noted with satisfaction the close coordination between Russia and India on Afghanistan, including with the use of the dialogue mechanism between the two countries’ security councils. <…> The leaders welcomed counterterrorist measures against international terrorist groups, including the Islamic State and Islamic State Khorasan Province (both outlawed in Russia) and their branches," the statement says.
Apart from that, the sides expressed confidence that "the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan will be comprehensive and effective." Russia and India also underscored the significant role of meeting in the Moscow format on Afghanistan and pointed to the "need for urgent and uninterrupted humanitarian assistance to the Afghan population."
The Moscow format was established in 2017 on the basis of the six-party mechanism of consultations between Russian, Afghan, Indian, Iranian, Chinese, and Pakistani special envoys. Its first meeting took place on April 14, 2017 and was attended by deputy ministers and special envoys from 11 countries, including Afghanistan. The format’s mission is to encourage the process of national reconciliation in Afghanistan and promote peace in that country. The latest, seventh, meeting in this format was held in Moscow in October 2025.