In the upcoming week, Russia will hold the Moscow format meeting on Afghanistan on October 20 and the European Council will meet on October 21-22.

Moscow format meeting on Afghanistan

Russia has invited Taliban representatives to the Moscow-format consultations on Afghanistan slated for October 20 to discuss post-conflict reconstruction and humanitarian assistance, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

The ministry's spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, noted that the region is faced with multiple challenges, including terrorist activities and a "catastrophic humanitarian situation," which have affected all walks of life there.

The Moscow format was established in 2017, based on a mechanism of consultations between representatives of Russia, Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, Iran and India.

The first round of the consultations took place on April 14, 2017, and were attended by deputy foreign ministers and representatives of 11 countries: Russia, Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, Iran, India, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

Day by day

Monday: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov holds talks with Foreign Minister of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau S.K. Barbosa; German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel hold a bilateral meeting in Berlin; Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan starts his two-day visit to Nigeria (to Oct. 19); EU Foreign Affairs Council.

Tuesday: Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen debate Poland's challenge to the supremacy of EU law and to EU values in European Parliament; EU climate policy chief Frans Timmermans, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and senior government and foreign officials attend a conference in Athens on the climate crisis (to Oct. 20); UK holds global investment summit; ASEAN+3 Finance and Central Deputies Meeting (AFCDM+3) via video conference (to Oct. 21); EU General Affairs Council.

Wednesday: Moscow format meeting on Afghanistan; Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan visits Togo; U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken makes his first visit to Colombia; 10th anniversary of capture and killing of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Thursday: Defense ministers from the NATO alliance meet in Brussels for a two-day summit chaired by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (to Oct. 22); European Council (to Oct. 22).

Friday: Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett during his visit to Russia; APEC 2021 Finance Ministers Meeting.

Saturday: 10th anniversary of declaration of Libya's liberation.

Sunday: ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ABIS) (to Oct. 25); Uzbekistan presidential elections.