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Russian senior diplomat, Red Cross president discuss cooperation

They focused on practical aspects of cooperation between Russia and the ICRC

MOSCOW, September 14. /TASS/. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin and President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Peter Maurer met in Geneva on Tuesday to discuss cooperation in the context of the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

"The sides continued to discuss the current humanitarian agenda in Afghanistan, Syria, Nagorno-Karabakh and other regions. In this context, they focused on practical aspects of cooperation between Russia and the ICRC," the Russian foreign ministry said.

After the Biden administration announced the end of its US military operation in Afghanistan and the launch of its troop pullout, the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) embarked 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. On September 6, the Taliban said it had taken control of the entire country and announced a new interim government on the following day.