Afghanistan conference
Foreign Minister Lavrov urges peace in Afghanistan
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke to the Taliban at a conference in Moscow. Photo: Uncredited / RussianForeign Ministry Press Service / AP / dpa
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At a meeting in Moscow, the Russian Foreign Minister warned the Taliban to guarantee human rights in Afghanistan. The new rulers had traveled to Russia with a delegation.
At the beginning of new talks on the situation in Afghanistan, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called for greater efforts to achieve lasting peace in the country. This task is still urgent, he said on Wednesday, according to the Interfax agency.
At the same time, at the meeting in Moscow, he called on the Taliban to guarantee the basic rights of all Afghan residents. Due to a lack of international recognition of the Taliban government and due to economic and humanitarian problems, the situation could not be described as stable, Lavrov said.
According to the Russian side, representatives from ten countries took part in the talks. These include Afghanistan’s neighbors China, Iran and Pakistan. The delegation of the militant Islamist Taliban consisted of ten people, with Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi leading the group, according to the state news agency Bakhtar.
Acting Foreign Minister of the Taliban Amir Chan Mutaki told journalists in Moscow that they are calling on the international community to contribute to Afghanistan’s stability, to provide humanitarian aid and to free up the country’s assets at this sensitive time. When the Taliban came to power, around nine billion US dollars in the country’s central bank reserves, most of which are parked in the United States, were frozen.
After the withdrawal of the international NATO troops, the Taliban had conquered large parts of the country. On August 15, they entered the capital Kabul without a fight and have been ruling ever since. Your all-male government faces numerous problems. A serious humanitarian crisis is looming, the UN sees the economy on the verge of collapse. A drought in the country and the upcoming winter with rising prices are further exacerbating the situation.
The UN sees a strong movement of refugees within Afghanistan and possibly also beyond the borders, if money is not made available to care for the people.
Russia is also concerned that the security situation among its allies in Central Asia could deteriorate. Countries like Tajikistan border directly on Afghanistan. Moscow warns of terrorists who could penetrate formerly Soviet territory from Afghanistan and of increasing drug smuggling.
Moscow has repeatedly hosted Afghanistan conferences in a variety of formats. Representatives of the Taliban have also been present in the past. Other countries are also holding talks with them, including the USA, which this time canceled their participation. Iran plans to host a conference on Afghanistan next week. In Russia, the Taliban are banned as a terrorist organization.