SPUTNIKNEWS – December 29, 2016: Commenting on the third round of tripartite meetings between Russia, China and Pakistan on the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, which were held in Moscow on Tuesday, Russian expert in Central Asia Azhdar Kurtov called it a new trend being set by Moscow to deal with the Afghan crisis.
Russia, China and Pakistan warned on Tuesday that the influence of Islamic State (IS/ISIL/Daesh) was growing in Afghanistan and that the security situation there was deteriorating.
The three countries met in Moscow. The United States, which still has nearly 10,000 troops in Afghanistan more than 15 years after the Islamist Taliban were toppled by US-backed Afghan forces, was not invited to the Moscow talks.
Commenting on the above meetings, Russian expert in Central Asia Azhdar Kurtov noted to Sputnik that Moscow seems to be forming its own trend in settling the Afghan and Syrian crises. The suggested initiatives might considerably alter the balance of power in the international arena, he suggested.
“Moscow could not help but make the use of the chance which has opened up to alter the current negotiating formats, and to try to drive the diplomatic talks from the dead-lock where they have been resting for quite a long time,” he told Sputnik. Link: Read Complete Article
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