<span style="color: #222222;">The extended meeting of the China-US-Russia consultation mechanism known as "Extended Troika" format on the Afghan issue will be held today on the sidelines of the third Foreign Ministers' Meeting among the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan on March 30 and 31 in Tunxi, Anhui Province of China. China's Foreign Ministry said yesterday that special representatives for the Afghan issue of the US, Russia, and Pakistan will attend the meeting.<br />''<br />''Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has arrived in Tunxi for the talks which come against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and as Afghanistan suffers an economic and humanitarian crisis worsened by a financial aid cutoff following the Taliban takeover as US-led troops departed in August. This talk is held amid widespread condemnation of the Taliban's U-turn last week on allowing girls to attend public high schools.<br />''<br />''Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will chair the 3rd Foreign Ministers meeting of Afghanistan's neighbours which will be attended by Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. China has also invited Taliban representatives to the talks in Tunxi, Anhui province, a US official said. Qatar and Indonesia will have representatives as guest attendees.</span><br />