On Wednesday, Russia is hosting talks in Moscow which will include officials from 10 countries including China and Pakistan. These talks are being considered to be one of the most significant international meetings since the Taliban seized power mid-August and they come a week after Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that IS fighters were gathering in Afghanistan to spread discord in former Soviet republics flanking Russia. As per reports, the Taliban delegation will be headed by Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi—a senior figure in the new Afghan leadership.
The aim of these talks is to consolidate the efforts of the international community to prevent a humanitarian crisis, and also to discuss the formation of an inclusive government. The US has stated that it will not join the talks this week due to logistical reasons, but that it is open to participating in the future and supports the initiative. The reason for not participating put forth by the US seems unconvincing and it appears that DC is looking to wait and watch on how the talks progress before taking a seat on the table.
Humanitarian aid will of course also be on the agenda since on October 19, it was reported that Russia, China and Pakistan are willing to provide aid to Afghanistan. However, Moscow has made it clear that it is not yet ready to recognise the new government as the Taliban is yet to fulfil the promises it made upon coming into power, including on the political and ethnic inclusivity of the new government.
Formal recognition is not the most pressing issue at the moment and it is encouraging to see Russia, China and Pakistan take the lead when it comes to dealing with the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan. Perhaps other regional and international actors should move beyond the sidelines and recognise the urgency of the situation. This is all the more important given the rising violence in Afghanistan being carried out by the Islamic State. With a serious counter-terrorism challenge being faced by the new government in Afghanistan, a regional approach to assisting the country in all key spheres is the need of the hour.
Source: Published in The Nation​