TASS reports that as part of his official visit to Tajikistan, the top Russian diplomat Sergei Lavrov on June 6 met with young diplomats, students, journalists and representatives of expert and scientific circles of Tajikistan at the Russian-Tajik (Slavic) University.
Speaking at the meeting, Lavrov noted that the development of a working dialogue with Taliban as the dominant internal political force of Afghanistan meets the interests of the region.
“In our view, building a working dialogue with the Taliban, who are currently the uncontested dominant domestic political force in Afghanistan, meets the interests of security and economic development of the region as well as the goals of inter-Afghan national reconciliation, to which we are constantly pushing the current authorities in Kabul,” Lavrov said.
The Russian minister further noted that Moscow cannot talk about official recognition of the Taliban government until certain conditions are met.
“These obligations included the formation of an ethno-politically balanced government, stepping up measures to combat terrorism and drug trafficking, ensuring basic human rights for all peoples inhabiting Afghanistan, including the Tajiks. In our contacts with representatives of the Taliban, and they are fairly regular, we encourage them to accelerate the implementation of these globally announced targets,” the top Russian diplomat said.
