Italy pushing for special G20 meeting on Afghanistan as its last evacuation flight leaves Kabul (2)

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi (R, front) meets with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (L, front) in Rome, Italy, on Aug. 27, 2021. Italy, which holds the rotating presidency of the Group of 20 (G20), is still pushing for a special G20 meeting on Afghanistan as its last evacuation flight leaves Kabul on Friday. Lavrov recalled that Russia has kept open a dialogue with the Taliban leaders, together with China and Pakistan, and asked for the possible G20 summit on Afghanistan to be opened to countries that are not members of the group but nonetheless directly affected by the Afghan crisis, such as Pakistan and Iran. (Xinhua)