The full Extended Troika — Russia, China, the U.S., and Pakistan — will meet Nov. 11 in Islamabad on the future of Afghanistan. It will be the first time the Extended Troika meets since the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan. Thomas West, the new U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan (replacing retiring Zalmay Khalilzad) will attend the meeting, hosted by Pakistan. The Pakistan Foreign Office announced that Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will inaugurate the meeting.The Taliban’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi will also be present.
It appears that Pakistan agrees with Russia and China, that recognition of the Taliban government can be delayed until the interim government meets certain conditions: various groupings represented, women granted civil liberties and terrorist groups suppressed. However, all three have pressed the U.S. to unfreeze the $9.5 billion of Afghanistan’s funds, holding that the denial of their funds only serves to undermine the steps toward progress.
