Kabul (BNA) In meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Mohammad Haneef Atmar, the Russian officials have reiterated their support for Afghan peace process, saying it was too early to remove Taliban from the blacklist.
During his visit from Moscow, FM Atmar met with the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation yesterday.
The two sides discussed cooperation between the two countries, especially in the political and security sectors, according to a MoFA statement.
Welcoming the visiting Afghan delegation, Russian Secretary for Security Council called FM Atmar’s visit on the eve of 100th years of diplomatic relations between Russia and Afghanistan important and said that his country attaches special importance to the peace process in Afghanistan.
Expressing gratitude for the invitation and reception of the Russian officials, the Afghan Foreign Minister, as quoted in the statement, convoyed President Ghani’s greetings to them and called for the expansion of relations and the creation of a new chapter of cooperation between the two governments in areas of economic, political, and cultural affairs.
Hinting to peace process, FM Atmar stated that the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has fulfilled all its obligations, including the release of 6,000 Taliban prisoners. He added, on the other hand, the the Taliban were expected to reduce violence in accordance with their commitment, enter into a ceasefire dialogue, sever ties with terrorists, and prevent the return of released prisoners to the battlefield, however he said that Taliban broke their commitments in all four cases.
FM Atmar and Patrushev stressed the need to start serious and meaningful negotiations and reach a comprehensive political solution based on the will of the Afghan people. Petrushev said the return of the emirate was certainly unacceptable and that it was too early to remove the Taliban from the blacklist until tangible results were achieved in the peace talks.
In these talks, the two sides stressed the importance of a regional consensus for peace and increased contacts and multilateral talks under the auspices of influential regional countries.
During the meeting, FM Atmar also conveyed the good wishes of Afghanistan’s National Security Adviser, Hamdullah Mohib, to his Russian counterpart, saying that increasing contacts between officials and counterparts on both sides, especially after the removal of the COVID-19 restrictions, is extremely valuable for enhancing bilateral relations and cooperation.
