Russian Ambassador in Islamabad Albert Khorev says Moscow is ready to assist in resolving Pakistan’s conflicts with India and Afghanistan, reports TASS.
“We are ready to mediate in the conflicts between Pakistan and India, as well as between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” Khorev said during a roundtable discussion organised by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad.
“We also share mutual concern over regional security – particularly regarding the situation in Afghanistan – and support continued cooperation aimed at ensuring peace, combating terrorism and contributing to social and economic development,” he added.
The envoy also remarked that tensions among South Asian countries were often fuelled by external powers. In this context, he referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s initiatives to establish the Greater Eurasian Partnership and develop a new framework for equal and indivisible security across Eurasia. He noted that these concepts complement each other and are founded on the principle that regional issues should be addressed by regional actors themselves.
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had recently sought to reduce tensions and restore calm between Kabul and Islamabad with a regional meeting planned in the near future.
The remarks come after military strikes by Pakistan on Afghanistan and subsequent Afghan retaliatory attacks.
Negotiations between Kabul and Islamabad, mediated by Qatar and Turkey, were held once in Doha and twice in Istanbul.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for Taliban, said that the “irresponsible conduct and lack of cooperation” from the Pakistani delegation prevented the Istanbul talks from yielding results despite the good intentions of Afghansiatn and efforts of the mediators.
He added that Pakistan does not want a strong central government, security, or progress in Afghanistan, yet holds the Afghan government responsible for its own security.
He said insecurity in Pakistan had persisted since 2002 due to the mismanagement of its army even before the IEA return.
Turkey, Qatar and Iran have all emphasised diplomatic efforts and mutual understanding to resolve issues between Kabul and Islamabad.
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