MOSCOW — Russia plans to convene the seventh round of the “Moscow Format” consultations on Afghanistan in September or October, according to Zamir Kabulov, Moscow’s special envoy for Afghanistan.
While an exact date has not been confirmed, Kabulov told the Russian state-run TASS news agency that the talks would be held “as per tradition” in the early autumn months.
“Afghanistan will participate as a full member,” Kabulov said, noting that preliminary discussions have already taken place among regional partners and Russian diplomatic officials, including the country’s ambassador to Kabul.
The announcement follows recent United Nations-facilitated working group meetings on Afghanistan held in Doha, where international representatives—including Taliban officials—discussed narcotics control and private sector development.
The most recent Moscow Format session was held on October 4, 2024, and brought together special envoys and senior officials from Russia, China, India, Iran, Pakistan, and Central Asian countries including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s acting foreign minister, attended the event as a special guest.
Russia has increasingly moved to formalize its engagement with the Taliban-led government. In April, the Russian Supreme Court approved a motion by the country’s prosecutor general to suspend the designation of the Taliban as a terrorist organization—a step widely interpreted as paving the way for full diplomatic normalization.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has since stated that lifting the terrorist designation would allow for “comprehensive cooperation” with the Taliban in ways that serve the interests of both the Russian and Afghan people.
The Moscow Format, established in 2017, serves as one of the key regional diplomatic mechanisms for dialogue on Afghanistan’s political future and security challenges.
