The “Joint Statement of the Participants in the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan” concluded with the urgent need for “humanitarian and economic assistance.” The obvious next step is to convene a donors conference, with included pressure on the US to act to repair the damage done. In attendance on October 20 were senior officials from Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as a high-level delegation of the interim Afghan government. The statement reads in part:
“It was stated that further practical engagement with Afghanistan needed to take into account the new reality, that is the Taliban coming to power in the country, irrespective of the official recognition of the new Afghan government by the international community.” Discussions with the interim government stressed “further steps to improve governance and to form a truly inclusive government that adequately reflects the interests of all major ethno-political forces in the country. This will be a fundamental prerequisite for the completion of the national reconciliation process in Afghanistan.” Further, the new government should: follow “moderate and sound internal and external policies, adopt friendly policies towards neighbors of Afghanistan, achieve the shared goals of durable peace, security, safety, and long-term prosperity, and respect the rights of ethnic groups, women and children.”
