Russian, Qatari foreign ministers to discuss situation in Afghanistan

MOSCOW

Russian and Qatari foreign ministers will meet in Moscow on Saturday to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, a Russian official said on Thursday.

Sergey Lavrov and Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani will have "an in-depth exchange of views on the development in and around Afghanistan," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a news conference in Moscow.

Russia also intends to take part in a high-level meeting on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan that will be held next Monday in Geneva at the level of the permanent representatives to the UN Geneva office, she also said.

Commenting on the announcement of the Taliban's interim government, Zakharova underscored that all its members have a status of "acting" officials.

"The head of the newly created Cabinet and its members have 'acting' status, which, apparently, indicates that the government forming process and the power vertical in this country is incomplete. It is possible that it will include other structures, so it will be possible to ensure the inclusiveness of the new authority. We will follow this closely," she said.

Russia considers that the only way to achieve "sustainable peace and harmony" in the Afghan society and ensure "the peaceful reconstruction of the country" is through taking into account the interests of all ethnic and political forces in Afghanistan, Zakharova added.

'Unclear how situation in Afghanistan will affect global stability': Putin

Addressing a video meeting of the leaders of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), Russian President Vladimir Putin said the withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan has led to a new crisis, and it is still unclear how it will affect regional and global security.

The uncertainty of the consequences of the US pullout makes BRICS countries pay special attention to this issue, he said.

"Russia, like its BRICS partners, consistently supports the establishment of long-awaited peace and stability on the Afghan soil. The residents of this country have been fighting for many decades and have earned the right to independently determine what their state will be like," he said.

Russia wants Afghanistan to stop being a source of the terrorist threat, drug trafficking and illegal migration, he Putin added.

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan after taking the control of the capital Kabul on Aug. 15, forcing the president and other top officials to leave the country.

On Tuesday, the Taliban announced the interim government, which includes only its own members.