The eighth meeting of the Moscow Format consultations on Afghanistan will be held in the Russian capital on Oct. 5, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Wednesday.

The meeting will bring together special representatives and senior officials from Afghanistan, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Russia.

Belarus and Egypt have also been invited to attend the meeting as guests, Zakharova said at a briefing.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to address the participants during the consultations.

The Afghan delegation will be led by Afghanistan’s foreign minister, who is also scheduled to hold a separate meeting with Lavrov on the sidelines of the event, according to Zakharova.

The bilateral meeting will focus on current issues concerning cooperation between Russia and Afghanistan, she said.

At the broader Moscow Format consultations, participants are expected to discuss political and economic cooperation between Afghanistan and countries in the region, as well as efforts to strengthen regional cooperation in combating terrorism and drug trafficking.

A joint statement is expected to be adopted at the conclusion of the meeting, Zakharova added. (ILKHA)