Moscow ready to provide platform for direct talks between Afghan govt, Taliban – ministry

Moscow is ready to provide a platform for direct talks between Afghanistan’s government and the Taliban movement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. The statement came ahead of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to New York on January 18-19. He will take part in the UN Security Council meetings on non-proliferation of mass destruction weapons and the situation in Afghanistan, TASS reported. “The experience of international efforts on stabilization in Afghanistan shows the ineffectiveness of attempts to solve problems by force,” the ministry said. The situation in Afghanistan affects “the implementation of safe development plans in the neighboring regions,” according to the ministry.