Desk:Russia has appealed to India to join the Afghanistan-focused Quad group, currently consisting of China, Pakistan, Iran, and Russia. During a press briefing on Tuesday (January 14), Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated, “Strengthening trust within the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) and including India in the current Afghanistan format (Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran) would be the right step.”
Previous Afghanistan Quad Meeting
The last Afghanistan Quad meeting was held in November 2024 during the UN General Assembly session at the level of foreign ministers. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Pakistani Defense Minister Mohammad Asif participated in the meeting. The joint statement issued after the meeting called for support of Afghanistan’s “national sovereignty, political independence, unity, and territorial integrity.”
Concerns Over Terrorism
During the meeting, deep concerns were expressed about terrorism. The joint statement emphasized the security situation and the terrorism problem related to Afghanistan. According to a WION report, during the press conference, Lavrov referred to Pakistan as a “victim of terrorism” and stated that Islamabad should collaborate with its Afghan neighbors, India, and all SCO members in the fight against terrorism. He added that “bad actors” are using Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan for criminal purposes.
SCO’s Afghanistan Contact Group Status
The SCO previously had an Afghanistan Contact Group, which included India, but it became inactive after the Taliban came to power in 2021. Lavrov’s comments come at a time when New Delhi has increased its engagement with the Taliban government in Kabul.
India’s Afghanistan Policy
At the beginning of January 2025, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Mawlavi Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai to discuss issues like the Chabahar port and Indian humanitarian aid. India had established a “technical office” in Kabul in 2022 and has maintained contact with the Taliban government, though India has not yet granted official recognition to the Taliban. In 2018, India first held “non-official level” talks with the Taliban under the Moscow Format. Russia’s proposal to include India in the Afghanistan Quad could strengthen regional stability and coordination in the fight against terrorism.