MOSCOW, Aug 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have agreed their countries will step up efforts to counter “threats” emerging from Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover, the Kremlin said.
In a phone call, the two leaders “expressed their readiness to step up efforts to combat threats of terrorism and drug trafficking coming from the territory of Afghanistan”, the Kremlin said in a statement.
They also spoke of the “importance of establishing peace” in Afghanistan and “preventing the spread of instability to adjacent regions”.
Putin and Xi “agreed to intensify bilateral contacts” and “make the most of the potential” of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) that is due to convene for a summit in Tajikistan next month.
Several ex-Soviet republics in Central Asia – where Moscow holds military bases – share a border both with Afghanistan and China.
While Moscow has been cautiously optimistic about the new leadership in Kabul, Putin has warned of Afghan militants entering neighbouring countries as refugees.
Putin has also criticised the involvement of outside powers in Afghanistan’s domestic affairs and said Moscow had “learnt lessons” from the Soviet Union’s decade-long invasion of the country.
For its part, after the Taliban swept to power on Aug 15, China said it is ready to deepen “friendly and cooperative relations” with Afghanistan.
In a separate phone call, Putin and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan also discussed Afghanistan and formation of a government, which would take into account the interests of all groups in the population, the Kremlin said.
The importance of promoting intra-Afghan dialogue, which would facilitate creation of an inclusive government, was underscored during the talk, it said in a statement.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia, China, the United States and Pakistan were interested in serving as mediators in resolving the crisis in Afghanistan. — NNN-AGENCIES
