All news

Russia, China hope for immediate success of US talks with Taliban — diplomat

Russia’s Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said "this is a key moment for further progress towards a stable peace in Afghanistan"

WASHINGTON, March 22. /TASS/. Russia and China support US talks with the Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia) and show interest in immediate success of this dialogue, Russia’s Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said after trilateral consultations on Afghanistan in Washington with the US and Chinese envoys.

"Both we and the Chinese are certainly interested in immediate success of the US talks with the Taliban movement, five rounds of which were held in Doha. That’s why this is a key moment for further progress towards a stable peace in Afghanistan," the Russian diplomat said.

As soon as the US agrees with the Taliban on the schedule of foreign troops’ withdrawal, "we can start makingnext and more particular steps, leading to establishing peace in Afghanistan: this is ceasefire and a whole number of other <...> steps, and the most important of them will be direct talks of a broad spectrum of Afghans with the Taliban movement," Kabulov said.

"The Taliban movement has said many times at its discussions with both the US and other [sides] that it wants to see serious guarantors of its future deal with the United States. Among such guarantors they named Russia [and also] China, Pakistan and Iran," the diplomat said.

The diplomat noted that there was no discussion on particular forms of providing these guarantees since progress in the Afghan settlement has not reached that phase. These forms can be different, he explained.

"I quoted the Taliban as saying that they want to have solid and serious international guarantees. When we come to that point: yes, why not?" the special envoy said.