TASHKENT – After Middle East, Russia to emerge as a big player inAfghanistan in the future whose role would be crucial in Afghanistanconflict.

Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday met with Russia’s ForeignMinister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the Tashkent peace conference onAfghanistan, the Presidential Palace said in a statement.

According to the statement, both sides discussed the successful outcome ofthe Kabul Process meeting, the Tashkent Conference for Afghanistan and theAfghan peace process.

Ghani thanked Lavrov and his accompanying delegation for attending theTashkent Conference and for Russia’s support to the Afghan peace process.

During the visit Ghani said that regional cooperation and coordination arein the interests of regional countries, and we want to have an economicrelationship, especially in terms of exporting fruit and vegetables toRussia, the statement added.

Lavrov meanwhile expressed support for the Afghan-led peace process andsaid Russia’s goal was to help stabilize the countries of the region andexpand economic cooperation between them.

Russian Foreign Minister proposed that a trilateral meeting betweenAfghanistan, Russia and the United States be held, the statement said.

Ghani welcomed the proposal and said the process of holding the meetingwould be pursued through the relevant channels.

In addition, the Presidential Palace statement said that Ghani also metwith British Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, GarethBayley, and Thomas Shannon, the US Under Secretary of State for PoliticalAffairs.