India backs Afghanistan's sovereignty at Moscow Format talks

India on Monday backed Afghanistan's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity at the 8th Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan in Moscow, and said it remains committed to the welfare of the Afghan people.

An Indian delegation led by Ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar and Joint Secretary (PAI) Dr M Suresh Kumar conveyed New Delhi's position at the meeting hosted by Russia. The forum was attended by officials from Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, while Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi led his country's delegation. Belarus and Egypt attended as guests.

In a post on X, the Embassy of India in Russia said: "Based on its long-standing friendship with Afghanistan, India remains committed to the welfare of Afghan people and supports Afghan sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity."

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, participants reaffirmed that there is no alternative to developing cooperation with Kabul on an equal and mutually beneficial basis and to supporting Afghanistan's integration into the global economy. It added that the participants called on the international community to provide regular humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people and stressed that such aid must not be politicised.

In his address, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the forum brings together countries that have a stake in establishing and maintaining an equal and mutually beneficial partnership with the Afghan people. "It offers an opportunity to hold a substantive discussion of matters related to providing international assistance to Afghanistan and, importantly, to do so in conjunction with Kabul," he said.

Lavrov said that August 2026 marked the "fifth anniversary of Afghanistan's liberation from two decades of Western occupation". "The vast military machine of the US and its NATO allies crumbled in the face of the Afghan people's fighting spirit and determination, forcing the occupiers to flee," he added.

He also praised Afghanistan's "uncompromising fight against ISIS and other terrorist groups" and its efforts to combat drug trafficking. Saying that hundreds of militants had been eliminated and several major terror attacks had been foiled, Lavrov said helping strengthen Kabul's counter-terrorism capabilities through material and expert assistance, as well as contacts between intelligence and law enforcement agencies, was in everyone's interest.

Lavrov said the Afghan economy continued to develop despite what he described as harsh sanctions pressure from Western countries. He was quoted by state-run TASS as saying, "The Afghan economy continues to develop despite the harsh sanctions pressure from Western countries, which, under the pretext of protecting human rights, have severed the Islamic Emirate off from the international financial system and seized its national banking assets."

He said the Afghan authorities had reaffirmed their commitment to regional energy projects, including the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) trunk gas pipeline, and had implemented tax reform, strengthened anti-corruption legislation and revived industry. Lavrov also said Russia would continue to provide regular humanitarian aid and that another batch would reach Afghanistan in the coming months.

He said the deployment of NATO military infrastructure in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries under any pretext was categorically unacceptable. "As we know from history, the presence of this kind carries the risk of destabilisation and heightened tensions and conflict. We have seen no other outcome from this kind of presence over the past several decades," Lavrov said.

The Moscow format was set up in 2017 with the participation of special representatives from 11 countries, including Russia, Afghanistan, India, Iran, China and Pakistan. Its stated aim is to promote national reconciliation in Afghanistan and ensure the quickest possible establishment of peace in the country. On the sidelines of the event, Lavrov separately met Muttaqi to discuss prospects for bilateral cooperation and coordination in international and regional forums.

The meeting underlined India's support for Afghanistan's sovereignty and the welfare of its people, while the participating countries called for deeper engagement with Kabul, continued humanitarian aid and support for Afghanistan's place in the global economy.

With PTI Inputs

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