Russia says ready to mediate Afghan crisis alongside China, US, Pakistan

Afghans walk along fences as they arrive in Pakistan through the Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossing point in Chaman on August 24, 2021. (AFP/File)

• Opposes allowing Afghan refugees to enter Central Asia, deployment of US troops there 
• Pakistan is part of Troika conference platform on Afghanistan led by United States, China, Russia

ISLAMABAD: Russia, China, the United States and Pakistan are interested in serving as mediators to the crisis in Afghanistan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said, as aid agencies warned of a looming humanitarian crisis under the new Taliban rulers.
The statement comes ten days after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, with Pakistan, India, China and other regional powers looking to cement their grip on the region. 
In a press briefing during a visit to Hungary, Lavrov was quoted by Reuters as saying his country and others, including Pakistan, could serve as mediators in Afghanistan. Pakistan is already part of the Troika conference platform on Afghanistan led by the United States, China, Russia.
“We remain committed to the task of establishing peace and stability on Afghanistan’s territory so that it poses no threats to the region,” the foreign minister said, adding that Russia was opposed to the idea of allowing Afghan refugees to enter the ex-Soviet region of Central Asia — located between Russia and Afghanistan — or having US troops deployed there. 
“If you think that any country in Central Asia or elsewhere is interested in becoming a target so that the Americans could fulfil their initiatives, I really doubt anyone needs that,” Lavrov said.
Russia maintains close ties with Central Asia’s former Soviet republics — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan — and regards the region as part of its sphere of interest. 
On Tuesday, Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi left on a regional diplomacy tour that includes visits to Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, to discuss the unfolding situation in Afghanistan and present Pakistan’s perspective.
The foreign minister has said his visit aims to promote a coordinated regional approach as well as strengthen Pakistan’s engagement with Central and West Asia.
“Pakistan believes that the neighboring countries have a vital stake in the peace, security and stability of Afghanistan and the region,” a statement released by Qureshi’s office on Tuesday said. “It is important to coordinate closely with the neighbors to address common challenges and advance shared goals of peace, security, stability and regional connectivity.” 
Last week, Qureshi spoke with his Russian counterpart over the phone and discussed the situation in Afghanistan. 
“Pakistan and Russia, as part of Troika Plus, had made valuable contributions to these efforts,” Qureshi said as the two figures agreed to continue working closely through the Troika format. 
Tens of thousands of Afghans fearing persecution have thronged Kabul’s airport since the Taliban takeover, the lucky ones securing seats on flights, mostly arranged by Western governments, that have so far evacuated at least 70,000 people.
The Taliban said all foreign evacuations from the country must be completed by August 31, and asked the United States to stop urging talented Afghans to leave the country. It has also told the Afghans crowding the airport in the hope of boarding flights that they had nothing to fear and should go home.