Moscow pledged to only support Afghan-led peace efforts: HPC

Officials in the High Peace Council (HPC) say helpful meetings have been held with Russian officials regarding upcoming Moscow summit on Afghan peace process.
Ehsanullah Tahiri, HPC spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News that an Afghan delegation led by deputy foreign minister Naseer Ahmad Andisha, which includes members and chief secretary of HPC, Dr.Akram Khpalwak, is now in Moscow.
Tahiri said the Afghan delegation had fruitful discussions with Russian officials on the postponed Moscow meeting’s agenda and its manner.
In a series of meetings on Afghan peace, Moscow planned to hold a conference on September 4, 2018 as it was expected that representatives from 12 countries, including Afghanistan, and a Taliban delegation would attend the gathering, but Kabul refused to take part. After the controversy, Russian foreign minister Sergy Lavorov in a phone chat informed Afghan President Ashraf Ghani of Moscow’s decision to delay the conference.
The HPC spokesman says during the useful negotiations the Russian officials expressed its full support for an Afghan-led, Afghan-own peace process.
“Russian officials assured Afghan delegation that Moscow will never support any process apart from Afghan-led peace efforts,” said Tahiri, adding that the upcoming Moscow conference would be jointly led and managed by Afghanistan and Russia.
According to him, next Moscow conference will be held in light of the decisions made during first and second Kabul Process conferences and the Tashkent summit.
Calling such meetings important for Afghan peace process, Tahiri said it can forge consensus among the involved countries which will finally lead to direct peace negotiation between Afghan government and the Taliban.
He said Russian officials had pledged that it would increase efforts to facilitate direct talks between Afghan sides to the war.
This comes as President Putin’s special envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov recently said hopes are high that Taliban and Afghan government representatives would participate in upcoming Moscow meeting. But the HPC spokesperson says it’s still too early to confirm or deny the participation of Taliban in the meeting.