MOSCOW, July 2. /TASS/. The Islamic State (IS, outlawed in Russia) terrorist organization is swallowing up territories in Afghanistan amid NATO’s withdrawal from the region and an irresponsible approach by a number of officials in Kabul, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday.
"It is important to shine the spotlight on Afghanistan, where IS members are actively concentrating their forces, and they do so, taking advantage of an irredeemably drawn-out process of hammering out real peace negotiations. We are worried about this, because IS is actively acquiring territories - mostly in Northern Afghanistan, right on the borders of countries that are our allies, amid the irresponsible behavior of some officials in Kabul and amid the hasty withdrawal of NATO, who is unable to report the achievement of at least some goals," he said.
Lavrov noted that Russia holds consultations with CSTO member states in order to ensure security in Central Asia amid IS’ ramped-up activities.
"Of course, we seek to persuade political circles about the need to stop dragging out the negotiation process, and that agreements on a transitional government must be achieved," the top diplomat noted. "We are also doing it within the so-called ‘extended troika’ of Russia, China, the US and Pakistan."
NATO’s pullout from Afghanistan began on April 29, and it is supposed to end this fall, based on an agreement between the US and the Taliban.