MOSCOW: Russia’s top diplomat on Tuesday said that Moscow was ‘in no rush’ to recognise the new Taliban government in Afghanistan and called for an inclusive dialogue of all political forces in the country.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia was ‘just like all other countries’ and “in no rush to recognise” the Taliban government.
At the same time, Lavrov noted “encouraging signals from the Taliban, who are declaring their desire to have a government with the participation of other political forces”.
His remarks came as the Taliban in Kabul declared an ‘amnesty’ across Afghanistan and urged women to join their government.
Lavrov also said Moscow supports “the beginning of an inclusive national dialogue with the involvement of all political and confessional forces in Afghanistan”.
Russia designated the Taliban a terrorist organization in 2003, but has since hosted several rounds of talks in Afghanistan, most recently in March, that involved the group.
Moscow, which fought a 10-year war in Afghanistan that ended with the Soviet troops’ withdrawal in 1989, has made a diplomatic comeback as a mediator, reaching out to feuding Afghan factions as it has jockeyed with the US for influence in the country.
