MOSCOW, (Reuters) - Russia and five regional allies, including Armenia, will discuss the situation in Afghanistan and security in the neighbouring Central Asian region at a planned meeting this week, a foreign ministry official said on Monday.
Foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said the meeting in Moscow on Wednesday would focus on joint approaches to a post-war Afghan administration "which have now moved on to a practical level". U.N.-sponsored talks on troubled Afghanistan's future open in Bonn on Tuesday.
The Moscow meeting will group foreign ministers from Russia and the former Soviet states of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Armenia. The six-member collective security treaty is led by Russia.
"In the course of the session there will be an exchange of information about the global anti-terrorist coalition. Further steps will be agreed," Yakovenko said in reply to questions from Interfax news agency made available to Reuters.
Stability in Afghanistan is particularly important for the security of its former Soviet Central Asian neighbours.
Foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said the meeting in Moscow on Wednesday would focus on joint approaches to a post-war Afghan administration "which have now moved on to a practical level". U.N.-sponsored talks on troubled Afghanistan's future open in Bonn on Tuesday.
The Moscow meeting will group foreign ministers from Russia and the former Soviet states of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Armenia. The six-member collective security treaty is led by Russia.
"In the course of the session there will be an exchange of information about the global anti-terrorist coalition. Further steps will be agreed," Yakovenko said in reply to questions from Interfax news agency made available to Reuters.
Stability in Afghanistan is particularly important for the security of its former Soviet Central Asian neighbours.