Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov discusses Pak tension with Afghan counterpart

Moscow, Mar 6 (PTI) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday had a telephonic conversation with his Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Mottaqi to discuss ongoing tensions between Kabul and Islamabad, as well as the situation following US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Lavrov underscored the need to resolve differences between Kabul and Islamabad through political and diplomatic means, according to a Foreign Ministry readout posted on its webportal.

"The parties exchanged views on the situation in the region, including the negative and destabilising consequences of aggression against Iran. They discussed prospects for reducing military and political tensions in Afghan-Pakistani relations," it said without giving further details.

Even as the global focus is on the developments in West Asia, Moscow is keenly watching the situation along the Afghan-Pakistan border and Islamabad’s strikes against the Taliban.

On Wednesday, during the regular weekly briefing of the Foreign Ministry, its spokeswoman Maria Zakharova had said: “We are concerned over the continuing clashes on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.” She noted that armed engagements involving aircraft and heavy weapons have been seen practically throughout the entire Pushtun-populated border zone, with casualties on both sides, and the fighting was affecting the civilian population, including Afghan refugees who have come back home from neighbouring Pakistan and Iran. PTI VS AMS