UNITED NATIONS: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday that the Taliban regime, which has no international recognition, is a ground reality, and there is a need to negotiate with them.
In a press briefing at UN Headquarters in New York, he said that at the same time, Russia would not recognize it until they comply with and honor their promises to the international community.
He said that the Taliban would have to ensure inclusivity in their governing structures, not just at the ethnic but at the political level also. He pointed out that there is also the problem of human rights, including the rights of Afghan girls and women.
Negotiations in special meeting
These matters would be discussed at a meeting of special representatives for Afghanistan convened by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Doha in May, he added. The foreign minister said that Russia supports the meeting convened by the UN to take place on 1st and 2nd May.
In this respect, he said the West should not dodge Afghanistan-themed dialogue. He said that Russia certainly believed that the West should not dodge negotiations because it stayed in Afghanistan for twenty years and did nothing to strengthen its economy in any way. Lavrov stressed that the development of Afghanistan needed the money frozen by the United States. –APP
