Moscow, Kabul agree to postpone peace conference

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani have agreed to postpone a peace conference on Afghanistan that was planned for September, Moscow said on Monday.

The peace conference was set to take place in September in Moscow, but during a phone call with Lavrov, Ghani proposed postponing it due to the need to develop Afghanistan’s consolidated position on this issue, Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, published on its official website.

"The president of the IRA [Islamic Republic of Afghanistan], supporting in principle the idea of a Moscow meeting, proposed postponing it due to the need to develop Afghanistan’s consolidated position on this issue, taking into account the ongoing personnel changes in the leadership of the Afghan ruling bloc," it said.

Lavrov and Ghani agreed to set a new date for the meeting through diplomatic channels.

In the official statement from Kabul, President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani was said to have hailed Moscow for its efforts for peace in Afghanistan, but also emphasized that any talks must be an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led process.

“In the telephonic conversation, the president of the country hailed the efforts made by Afghanistan’s regional and international friends, especially the Russian Federation towards lasting peace in Afghanistan and said that the peace plan which was presented at the second Kabul Process conference had been outlined in consultation with various segments of society and with the support of the international community and the plan has defined all basic principles for sustainable peace in the country,” it said.

“In the telephonic conversation, it was decided to postpone the Moscow conference so that the two countries can coordinate on further preparations and effectiveness of the process,” it added.