UNITED NATIONS, April 26. /TASS/. Russia assumes that the Afghan government established by the Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia), is a fact that needs to be reckoned with, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters in New York.

"We assume that the Taliban is a reality. Talks with them on the ground are necessary," the top Russian diplomat said on Tuesday at a news conference to sum up the results of his visit to the United States within the framework of Russia’s presidency in the UN Security Council.

At the same time, Lavrov said that Moscow "will not recognize the Taliban government de-jure unless it fulfills its internationally recognized obligations," namely "inclusivity of governing bodies, not just in the ethnic sense, but also in the political one."

"Basic human rights are also mentioned among other criteria for international recognition, including the rights of girls and women," Lavrov added.

In his opinion, the West should not dodge Afghanistan-themed discussions.

"We certainly believe that the West should not dodge discussions, because it stayed in Afghanistan for 20 years and did nothing to boost its economy in any way," the minister continued.

Lavrov emphasized that the development of Afghanistan requires the money that was seized by the United States.

At the same time, Moscow supports the initiative to hold a meeting of special respresentatives for Afghanistan affairs in Doha on May 1, put forward by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the top Russian diplomat added.