Iran, Russia call for Pak-Afghan dialogue

The foreign ministers of Iran and Russia have urged Pakistan and Afghanistan to continue diplomatic dialogue to resolve ongoing disputes over cross-border terrorism, following recent deadly clashes along their shared frontier.

The call came as Islamabad and Kabul's third round of talks in Istanbul collapsed last week. The discussions followed violent border incidents in October that heightened tensions between the two neighbours.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi held a telephone conversation, exchanging views on bilateral and regional developments.

In a statement, the Russian foreign ministry said the ministers "welcomed the agreement reached between Kabul and Islamabad, mediated by Qatar and Turkiye, on a mutual ceasefire and an end to cross-border shootings along the Afghan-Pakistani frontier."