Press release on the second meeting of foreign ministers of the regional quartet on Afghanistan in Samarkand (Uzbekistan)

On April 13, on the sidelines of the fourth Foreign Ministers’ Meeting  of Afghanistan’s Neighbouring Countries in Samarkand (Uzbekistan), the foreign ministers of the regional quartet – Russia, China, Iran and Pakistan – held their second informal meeting on the Afghan agenda. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov took part in the event.

The meeting made it possible to have a frank discussion, in a trust-based atmosphere, of the situation in Afghanistan, with a focus on security aspects and strengthening the coordination of regional efforts to combat the threats of terrorism and drug trafficking coming from Afghanistan.

An agreement was reached to continue developing a single consolidated regional approach to Afghan affairs, as well as interacting with the current government of Afghanistan, including with the aim of maintaining internal political stability and preventing a humanitarian crisis in this country.

The participants agreed that the main responsibility for the disastrous state of affairs in Afghanistan lies with the United States and its allies due to their failed 20-year experiment there. The parties noted that deploying US and NATO military infrastructure in Afghanistan and the surrounding region was unacceptable.

A joint statement was adopted following the meeting.