MOSCOW, June 6. /TASS/: The recent visit by a delegation of the Taliban, a radical Sunni Muslim group (banned in Russia), poses no threat to Russia’s global image but, instead, confirms Moscow's role in Afghan settlement, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman has said.
On May 28, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with a delegation of the Taliban political office in Qatar on the sidelines of an official event in Moscow to mark the 100th anniversary of establishing the Russian-Afghan diplomatic relations.
"Their [Taliban] participation in the above-mentioned meetings together with leading political figures of Afghanistan not only carries no risk for our country’s reputation, but also confirms our active role in the Afghan settlement process," Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday. "The Russian side has repeatedly said that the Afghan conflict can be solved only through political and diplomatic means, through gradual bilateral rapprochement of the opposing parties. This is the only way to stop crimes and atrocities of the war."
Zakharova added that the visit of the movement’s delegation was organized within the framework of the international Afghan reconciliation effort and in line with a UN Security Council exemption, under which Taliban members who take part in national reconciliation talks, can be allowed to make foreign trips.
"We believe that participation of a Taliban delegation in Moscow-based events, including in intra-Afghan talks on the sidelines of a formal meeting devoted to the 100th anniversary of establishing the Russian-Afghan diplomatic relations, should not lead to tensions in dialogue with Kabul, the Pakistani side and Western partners, who themselves maintain contacts with the Taliban," the spokeswoman continued.
"The Russian Foreign Ministry’s contacts with the Taliban movement pursue two main goals: protection and security of Russian citizens and diplomatic missions in Afghanistan and assistance in launching the process of national reconciliation in this country," she added. "We assume that the Afghan conflict settlement would help turning this country into a neutral, self-sufficient state free of terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking, whose territory will not be used for attacks against neighboring states, including Russia.".
