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Russia expects US, Taliban to fully implement peace agreement — diplomat

The Foreign Ministry spokeswoman stated that establishing sustainable peace should be a top priority for all of the country’s political and social forces

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova

© Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

MOSCOW, March 6. /TASS/. Moscow expects that a peace agreement between the United States and the Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia) will be fully implemented, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Friday.

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"We do hope that the agreement signed by the US and the Taliban movement will be fully implemented," the diplomat pointed out, adding that the agreement had not led to immediate positive changes in Afghanistan.

Zakharova stated that establishing sustainable peace should be a top priority for all of the country’s political and social forces.

"We also expect that all obstacles hindering the implementation of the agreement will be removed in the near future. It particularly concerns the release of 5,000 Taliban members and 1,000 government troops ahead of the launch of intra-Afghan talks on peace and a post-war government," the Russian diplomat emphasized.

The US and the Taliban signed a peace agreement in Qatar’s capital of Doha on February 29. According to the deal, the US and coalition forces will withdraw from Afghanistan within 14 months. The Taliban, in turn, guarantee that Afghan soil will not be used to plot or carry out attacks against the United States and its allies.

Intra-Afghan talks on a comprehensive ceasefire are set to begin on March 10. Up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners and up to 1,000 Afghan government captives are expected to be released ahead of the talks.

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