Russia recognises Taliban’s 'efforts' towards stability in Afghanistan, calls for humanitarian aid

“We note their efforts to stabilise the military and political situation and set up work of the state apparatus,” Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said.

Russia on Wednesday said that the country recognised the Taliban’s efforts to 'stabilise' the volatile situation in Afghanistan as Moscow hosted the hardline Islamist group for international talks. Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov addressed an international conference attended by the Taliban and said that his country noted the new administration in power in Afghanistan and their efforts to stabilise the political situation in the war-torn country.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov delivers a speech during international talks on Afghanistan in Moscow, Russia. (Reuters)

“A new administration is in power now,” news agency AFP quoted Lavrov as saying, during the meeting. “We note their efforts to stabilise the military and political situation and set up work of the state apparatus,” he further said.

However, Lavrov also noted that several other extremist groups like Al Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) have been trying to exploit the security vacuum in the war-torn country and raise their profile.

Russia further expressed regret that the US officials did not participate at the meeting in Moscow. The US earlier said it would not join this round of talks in Moscow, but expressed willingness to do so in the future, news agency Reuters reported.

Expressing concerns over the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, Russia also urged the international community to provide assistance to the country. “We are convinced that it is time to mobilise the resources of the international community to provide Kabul with effective financial humanitarian support, including to prevent a humanitarian crisis and reduce migration flows,” Reuters quoted Lavrov as saying.

Meanwhile, the Taliban delegation was led by Afghanistan's deputy prime minister Abdul Salam Hanafi, who had also led the talks with other Western powers in the past. Last week, the Taliban had held discussions with the US and the European Union (EU), following which the EU pledged an assistance of one billion euros to prevent a 'humanitarian crisis' in Afghanistan. Following the Taliban’s takeover in August, several people were evacuated by the US and its allies while several others fled the country. The UN had previously warned of internal displacement of Afghan nationals after the militants took over the reigns.

The talks came amidst the concerns expressed by Russian president Vladimir Putin about the gathering of IS fighters in Afghanistan and the possible disturbance of peace in Central Asian nations bordering Russia.

Russia is one of the few countries that had not evacuated its diplomatic mission in Kabul despite the rapid and violent takeover of the country by the Taliban. However, the country is yet to officially recognise the Taliban regime and top officials have also hinted that no such discussions are currently in progress.

(With agency inputs)