Stability in Afghanistan is in the interests of Russia and the entire region, said Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Acting Minister of the Interior controlling Afghanistan for the Taliban movement, during a meeting with the Special Representative of the President of Russia on Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, Interfax reports.
"Security and stability in Afghanistan serve the interests of the entire region, including Russia," said Haqqani, whose words were quoted by the Taliban's Ministry of Interior spokesperson, Abdul Matin Kani.
"The meeting discussed bilateral relations between Afghanistan and Russia, security issues, the growth of trade between the two countries, and Russia's support for Afghanistan in regional and international forums," the statement said.
It is noted that Haqqani described the relations between Afghanistan and Russia as good and emphasized that an increase in the number of delegations visiting between the two countries would contribute to further strengthening bilateral relations.
In turn, Kabulov stated that Russia respects the position of the Afghan government and wants to increase the level of bilateral trade between Afghanistan and Russia, said the Taliban's Ministry of Interior spokesperson.
The day before, Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, speaking at a UN Security Council meeting, stated that the order in the region depends on the situation in Afghanistan, so Russia supports the Afghans' desire to live in peace.
"The Russian Federation fully supports the right and desire of the Afghan people to live in peace and stability, as the order in the region depends on this. However, building this long-term sustainable peace is impossible without patient and pragmatic interaction with the de facto authorities on a wide range of issues," Nebenzya noted.
According to him, the "coordination and coherence of actions of all players" in Afghanistan will determine a swift "way out of the existing impasse" and the subsequent international reintegration of the country.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
December 21, 2023