Russia wants Taliban to keep promises for recognition

KABUL (Pajhwok): Russia has linked the Taliban government’s recognition to progress in the fulfillment of their promises. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview talk of the Taliban’s recognition was premature at the moment. TASS news agency quoted him as asking the Taliban to keep their promises, including the creation of an inclusive government and combating terrorism and drugs.
Russia would gradually move towards excluding the Taliban from the UN Security Council’s blacklist, he added. This would create the basis for the official recognition of the new government in Afghanistan, the foreign minister argued. Lavrov confirmed Russia maintained working contacts with representatives of the Taliban, who came to power in mid-August. He said: “We maintain businesslike contacts with representatives of new Afghan authorities, including through our embassy in Kabul. “The humanitarian sphere is becoming a particularly important area of interaction in conditions of the socioeconomic crisis,” Lavrov explained.