India backed Afghanistan's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity at the Moscow Format consultations. The meeting also pushed humanitarian aid, deeper Kabul engagement and regional cooperation.

DND Report: The statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation S.V. Lavrov at the Eighth Meeting of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan, Moscow, 5 October 2026, was an excellent achievement for the Afghan Taliban regime as he said that the national government that came to power, headed by the Taliban Movement, brought the country’s territory under control and, it must be acknowledged, is governing it quite successfully. Possibly, His Excellency Lavrov forgot that Afghan Taliban did not come through any election or Jirga decision and only through a contract with the United States and through guns, not votes. Neither is this regime all-inclusive nor approved by the people of Afghanistan. The so-called Interim Government of Afghan Taliban is still interim even after five years have passed, as they did not hold any election or Jirga to get the approval of the public, nor included representatives of other ethnic groups and women in the government. Moreover, H.E. Lavrov added that…