#Lavrov: We are genuinely interested in bringing an end to the #Afghan tragedy as soon as possible. This is yet another example of the consequences of democratization, which the countries outside of that region are trying to impose, including in #Iraq, #Libya and #Syria.

We are not competing with Qatar or any other country in this regard. We are not speaking here from the position that could become a bone of contention that could become a bone of contention. As you are aware, before the Doha process, there was the Istanbul process and the Moscow format, and no one ever thought of reproaching our Qatari friends for “stealing the show.” This is a case of flawed logic.

Indeed, we followed closely and supported strongly the Doha talks. I can’t agree with you saying they were a success. Many unresolved problems remain. We discussed this today, including with Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Foreign Minister Mohammed Al-Thani. We would like to help these talks to continue, with each participant adopting a more constructive position.

This is exactly why the Moscow meeting is being convened. It was initiated by Russia, the United States and the People’s Republic of China. The three countries will meet in an expanded format which will include Pakistan. The Afghan parties will be invited as well. This is in no way an official format, fixed by some decision. It is designed to encourage the parties to be more cooperative through informal discussions and a trust-based dialogue. So, I can only support what Foreign Minister Mohammed Al-Thani had to say

From the Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement and answers to media questions at a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani following a trilateral meeting (Doha, March 11, 2021) ➡ https://bit.ly/3vvVOfB