Moscow Talks Back Independent, Terror-Free Afghanistan, Says Pak Envoy

Speaking at the opening of the seventh Moscow Format meeting on Afghanistan on Tuesday, 7 October, Lavrov said: “We firmly emphasise the absolute unacceptability of deploying the military infrastructure of third countries in Afghanistan or neighbouring states under any pretext.”

The talks, held in Moscow, brought together representatives from Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to discuss Afghanistan’s political and security situation. For the first time, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi attended the meeting as a formal member.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova earlier confirmed that a delegation from Belarus had also been invited.

Moscow’s Warning on Foreign Military Presence

Lavrov said Afghanistan’s long history of foreign intervention had already shown the dangers of external military involvement.

“Afghanistan’s history is full of examples of foreign military presence. I believe everyone should have drawn the right conclusions long ago,” he said.

He urged Western countries to “recalibrate their approach” and stressed that humanitarian assistance should not be conditioned on political demands.

Lavrov added that the Taliban’s participation in the Moscow Format would make the dialogue more effective:

“Afghanistan’s problems cannot be solved without Afghans themselves,” he said.

Russia Strengthening Ties with the Taliban

Lavrov said he had held a bilateral meeting with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to discuss expanding relations between Russia and Afghanistan, including cooperation on counterterrorism, counter-narcotics, and trade.

He confirmed that Moscow had formally recognised the Taliban government in July and lifted restrictions on cooperation.

“Ensuring regional security requires Kabul’s participation in political processes, multilateral cooperation, and joint economic projects,” Lavrov said. “Russia fully agrees with this approach.”

Lavrov also criticised Western nations for holding Afghanistan’s frozen assets and imposing banking restrictions that, he said, had deepened the country’s economic crisis.

Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Energy, told the Uzbekistan 24 television channel that the Taliban had officially authorised Uzbek companies to carry out exploration and extraction projects in Afghanistan.

He said that on 14 September, work began on developing the Tuti Maden gas field under a 25-year contract signed between the Taliban and the Uzbek company Eriell KAM.

“This is the first phase of the project,” Mirzamakhmudov said. “Depending on the results, work will expand into new areas. The initiative will bring mutual economic benefits to both Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.”

The minister added that sustained peace and infrastructure development in Afghanistan could transform it into a strategic transit hub.

“If peace is established in Afghanistan and its economy and infrastructure develop,” he said, “the country could become the shortest route to the world’s seas, supporting stronger economic growth and expanding Uzbekistan’s logistical capacity.”

Mirzamakhmudov emphasised that peace and stability in Afghanistan are essential not only for Uzbekistan but for all neighbouring and regional countries.

“This is a long-term political and strategic goal,” he said. “Our president understands this reality and believes that step-by-step implementation will bring short-, medium-, and long-term results.”

He also noted that the Afghan people have “deep feelings of friendship and respect” toward Uzbekistan.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has consistently advocated engagement and cooperation with the Taliban government, warning that isolating Afghanistan would harm regional and global interests.

Earlier in September, the Taliban government and Uzbekistan launched joint energy projects worth $250 million, including the construction of new power transmission lines and substations, among them, the 500-kilovolt Surkhan–Pul-e Khumri line and electricity facilities in Nangarhar and Kabul. The projects are expected to be completed by 1 April 2027.

A spokesperson for Germany’s Interior Ministry said on Monday that while the Taliban had agreed in principle to accept deported Afghans, Berlin had offered “no concessions and no political recognition” in return.

A German delegation travelled to Kabul last week and met with officials from the Taliban’s Interior and Foreign Ministries, as well as airport authorities, to discuss the technical and administrative aspects of deportation procedures.

The Taliban reportedly agreed to accept Afghan citizens verified through charter flights. Germany’s interior minister had earlier suggested the use of commercial flights, but Taliban officials did not approve that option.

Amid criticism over direct engagement with the Taliban, the spokesperson defended the meeting, saying an in-person discussion in Kabul was “absolutely necessary” to resolve operational issues.

The spokesperson also dismissed reports that the talks covered broader cooperation, including counter-narcotics initiatives. “These discussions were strictly about the return of individuals,” they said.

Some Taliban representatives had earlier claimed that the meetings involved wider collaboration, including on drug control.

Germany has not recognised the Taliban administration and continues to criticise its human rights record, particularly its restrictions on women and girls. However, Berlin has decided to proceed with deportations of Afghan nationals who committed serious crimes or pose security risks.

Germany has previously carried out two deportation flights to Kabul with logistical support from Qatar. The latest trip marks the first visit by German officials to Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

The decision to engage directly with the Taliban has sparked controversy in Germany, with critics arguing that such contact risks legitimising a regime accused of systematic human rights abuses.

For the first time, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is attending the meeting as an official member. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova earlier announced that a delegation from Belarus had also been invited.

Moscow Warns Against Foreign Military Presence

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov cautioned during the session that the presence of extra-regional military forces in Afghanistan could spark new conflicts.

“We firmly believe that the deployment of military infrastructure by third countries on Afghan territory, or in neighbouring states under any pretext, is unacceptable,” Lavrov said.

He also urged Western nations to “reconsider their approach” to Afghanistan, emphasising that humanitarian assistance to the country should not be linked to political conditions.

Bagram Air Base ‘Not on the Agenda’

Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s special presidential envoy for Afghanistan, told the TASS news agency that the issue of the US ultimatum over Bagram Air Base was not on the Moscow Format’s agenda.

“No such nonsense will be discussed,” Kabulov said.

Sandra Ratjen, head of the ICJ’s International Justice Support Section, described the mechanism as a “crucial step forward in addressing the systematic rights violations and abuses in Afghanistan, particularly against women, girls, and LGBTQI+ persons.”

She said that after years of appeals from Afghans for accountability, the Human Rights Council had finally created a path toward justice that must be implemented “swiftly and with adequate resources.”

The ICJ warned that without additional funding, the new Afghanistan mechanism would be unable to carry out its mandate effectively.

Adopted on Monday, 6 October, the resolution establishes an independent investigative mechanism tasked with collecting, preserving, and analysing evidence of international crimes and serious violations of international law, including potential human rights abuses.

Modelled on similar mechanisms created for Syria and Myanmar, the new body will compile case files to support fair and independent judicial proceedings in national, regional, or international courts or tribunals.

The resolution also stipulates that the mechanism’s work will be implemented gradually, depending on available budgetary resources.

The appeal comes amid a financial shortfall at the UN, which has allocated just one per cent of its 2026 budget to human rights activities.

Ratjen said that while the UN’s funding crisis is real, so is “the dire situation facing Afghan women,” many of whom are banned from leaving home, working, or accessing education.

A report on the mechanism’s establishment will be presented at the 61st session of the Human Rights Council, with its operational capacity set for review during the 66th session.

The ICJ urged governments to ensure that financial constraints “no longer stand in the way of justice for Afghan victims and survivors.”