<span style="color: #222222;">China is hosting the extended meeting of the China-US-Russia consultation mechanism on the Afghan issue on the sidelines of the third Foreign Ministers' Meeting among the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan happening on Wednesday and Thursday in Tunxi, Anhui Province of China.<br />''<br />''Ambassador Yue Xiaoyong, Special Envoy for Afghan Affairs of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will chair the meeting. The extended meeting is also known as "Extended Troika" format also includes Pakistan which along with China is trying to gain foothold in war-torn country since Taliban return.<br />''<br />''Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has arrived in Tunxi for the talks which come against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine war and as Afghanistan suffers an economic and humanitarian crisis worsened by a financial aid cutoff following the Taliban takeover after the US withdrew in August.<br />''<br />''This talk is held amid widespread condemnation of the Taliban's U-turn last week on allowing girls to attend public high schools. According to Chinese state media, Lavrov has held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi today, first since the Ukraine crisis began but the Chinese Foreign Ministry did not confirm it nor did it say anything on the time and duration of "Extended Troika" meeting.<br />''<br />''China, the US, Russia and Pakistan are countries with important influence on the Afghan issue, it said on Tuesday. China did not invite India for this meeting even though it said after Wang Yi's visit to India that China does not pursue the so-called "unipolar Asia" and respects India's traditional role in the region.</span><br />