MOSCOW, August 25. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan have agreed to coordinate approaches of the two countries to the Afghan issue, the Kremlin said in a statement following their phone call.
"It was agreed to coordinate approaches to Afghanistan, both bilaterally and multilaterally. At the same time, the expediency of using Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s capabilities in the issue of ensuring regional stability as well as combating terrorism and drug trafficking was stressed," the statement notes.
Moreover, the leaders "underscored the importance of maintaining peace and security in Afghanistan, preventing violence and establishing inter-Afghan dialogue which would facilitate formation of an inclusive government that takes into account interests of all groups of the population."
Putin and Khan touched several bilateral topics on the agenda, "including the development of trade and economic ties and implementation of joint projects in the energy and humanitarian sphere."
"Russian-Pakistani contacts on various levels will be ramped up," the Kremlin stressed.
Afghanistan developments
After the administration of US President Joe Biden announced the end of Washington’s 20-year-long military operation in Afghanistan and embarked on withdrawing its troops, the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) went on an offensive against Afghan government forces. On August 15, Taliban fighters swept into Kabul without encountering any resistance, and gained full control over the Afghan capital within a few hours. Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani said he had stepped down to prevent any bloodshed and subsequently fled the country. Vice President Amrullah Saleh said that under the constitution, he would become "the caretaker president" in the absence of the president and called for armed resistance against the Taliban. At present, Western nations are evacuating their citizens and embassy staff.