Russia hosts Afghanistan talks with Taliban, India and other regional powers

Russia on Monday hosted a new round of consultations on Afghanistan attended by representatives of the Taliban government, India, China, Iran, Pakistan and other countries.

Welcoming Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov congratulated him on what he described as the "fifth anniversary of Afghanistan's liberation from the NATO contingent."

"Five years is a short time to overcome the consequences of many decades of occupation, yet your government's achievements are evident, and we welcome them," Lavrov said.

Lavrov praised the Taliban's efforts to combat the Islamic State group and other extremist organisations, as well as its campaign against drug trafficking.

The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021 following the withdrawal of US and NATO forces. Since then, the group has sought international recognition while enforcing its strict interpretation of Islamic law.

In July 2025, Russia became the first country to formally recognise the Taliban government after removing the group from its list of outlawed organisations.

Speaking at Monday's talks, Lavrov said the "powerful military machine of the United States and their NATO allies was broken by the fighting spirit and resilience of the Afghans."

The former Soviet Union fought a 10-year war in Afghanistan before withdrawing its troops in 1989. In recent years, Moscow has sought to strengthen its regional role by hosting consultations on Afghanistan involving Taliban officials and representatives of neighbouring countries.

Lavrov said the Taliban's "successes in the fight against narcotics and terrorism are to a significant extent linked to the ongoing military-technical cooperation between our countries."

He also reiterated Moscow's opposition to any deployment of NATO military infrastructure in Afghanistan or neighbouring countries, calling such a presence "categorically unacceptable."

"Historical experience shows that such a presence is fraught with destabilisation and escalating conflict," Lavrov said.

He added that Russia would continue providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

Officials from China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan also participated in the talks.

Russia's special envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said Moscow was ready to help ease tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Cross-border fighting between the two countries has continued for months despite international mediation efforts.

"Russia stands ready to help end this conflict using all possible means and acting independently or together with other partners if both parties ask for it," Kabulov told reporters.

Although Russia was the first country to recognise the Taliban government, the group has held high-level talks with several other countries and established diplomatic ties with nations including China and the United Arab Emirates.

The Taliban government, however, remains relatively isolated internationally, largely because of its restrictions on women.