After Middle East, Russia to emerge as big player in Afghanistan
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TASHKENT - After Middle East, Russia to emerge as a big player in Afghanistan in the future whose role would be crucial in Afghanistan conflict.
Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday met with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the Tashkent peace conference on Afghanistan, the Presidential Palace said in a statement.
According to the statement, both sides discussed the successful outcome of the Kabul Process meeting, the Tashkent Conference for Afghanistan and the Afghan peace process.
Ghani thanked Lavrov and his accompanying delegation for attending the Tashkent Conference and for Russia’s support to the Afghan peace process.
During the visit Ghani said that regional cooperation and coordination are in the interests of regional countries, and we want to have an economic relationship, especially in terms of exporting fruit and vegetables to Russia, the statement added.
Lavrov meanwhile expressed support for the Afghan-led peace process and said Russia’s goal was to help stabilize the countries of the region and expand economic cooperation between them.
Russian Foreign Minister proposed that a trilateral meeting between Afghanistan, Russia and the United States be held, the statement said.
Ghani welcomed the proposal and said the process of holding the meeting would be pursued through the relevant channels.
In addition, the Presidential Palace statement said that Ghani also met with British Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Gareth Bayley, and Thomas Shannon, the US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.
