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Taliban confirms participation in SPIEF — senior Russian diplomat

Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Second Asian Department Zamir Kabulov expects that the Taliban movement and the accompanying Afghan business people will agree with Russian and other foreign partners on establishing cooperation

MOSCOW, May 27. /TASS/. The Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia) has confirmed its participation in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Zamir Kabulov, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Second Asian Department, told the Rossiya-24 TV channel.

"The Taliban government's labor minister and the head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry will take part in the St. Petersburg economic forum," he said.

"I expect that they and the accompanying Afghan business people will agree with Russian and other foreign partners on establishing cooperation," Kabulov said. "As for the Russian side, I have already mentioned that such cooperation is already in place, but its potential has not been exhausted and wider possibilities exist," he added. "I expect that the Afghan delegation will make the most of this chance to strengthen and expand cooperation both with Russian business and with other friendly countries," he summed up.

Earlier, Kabulov told TASS that the Russian Foreign and Justice ministries had reported to President Vladimir Putin that the Taliban movement could be removed from the list of terrorist organizations. He also said that Russia had sent an invitation to the Taliban movement to take part in the SPIEF.