Kazan Meet

Subject: IR

Section: Places in news

Context: Kazan meet makes no headway on equal rights in Afghanistan.

More about the news:

India participated in the Moscow Format meeting on Afghanistan in the Russian city of Kazan, and was represented by the Ambassador to Russia, Pavan Kapoor, as the special envoy
India expressed concern over the security situation due to increased terrorist activities, especially by ISIS.
“Moscow Format” meeting included the Taliban’s Acting Foreign Minister as an invitee along with Special envoys from Pakistan, Russia, China, Iran, and Central Asian states with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, and Turkiye as guests.
The meeting commended Afghanistan’s efforts against ISIS but called for action against all terrorist groups.
The meeting appreciated reduced poppy cultivation but lamented the lack of an inclusive government.
Iran proposed a regional contact group for Afghan-related matters.

What is Moscow Format:

The Moscow format is one of the several dialogue platforms on Afghanistan which began before the Taliban takeover of Kabul.
It was introduced in 2017 on the basis of the six-party mechanism for consultations among special representatives from Russia, Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, Iran and India.
The key objective of the Moscow format of consultations is to facilitate the national reconciliation process in Afghanistan to establish peace.