India may come face to face with Taliban for the first time on Oct 20

India may come face to face with the Taliban officials for the first time at a meet in Moscow on October 20.

The first edition of the "Moscow Format" on Afghanistan is scheduled on October 20 and India is expected to participate.

The Taliban, whose government has still not been recognised globally, have been invited by Russia for the meeting, reports said.

While India had its first formal contact with the Taliban in Doha on August 31, the "Moscow Format" will enable the first formal contact between New Delhi and the interim Taliban government in Kabul. The interim cabinet was announced in the September second week.

The Moscow Format launched by Russia is a negotiation mechanism established in 2017 to address Afghan issues. It currently includes India, USA, Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, Iran and Central Asian states.