MOSCOW, March 21. /TASS/. An extended Troika (Russia, China, the United States, Pakistan) meeting on Afghanistan in Moscow on March 18 was very important in the context of the difficult situation in that country, Head of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR) Abdullah Abdullah said in an interview with TASS.
"Moscow organized such a meeting before but it was at an early stage of talks. Today, the situation is difficult, critical. That is why the extended Troika format, invitation to both sides for a conversation and a strong call for peace are very important," he said.
According to Abdullah, the meeting was "useful" as its participants called on the parties to the conflict to step up peace settlement process.
"The way Afghanistan and the Taliban will use this possibility to promote talks will depend on both parties, but I have no doubts that this meeting was necessary and useful," he stressed.
An extended Troika meeting on Afghan settlement was held in Moscow last Thursday. It was attended by special envoys of both the Afghan government and the Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia), as well as by representatives from Qatar and Turkey. Participants spoke in favor of reaching lasting peace through political settlement by means of talks.