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Taliban foreign minister meets with Russian envoy — ministry

Hafiz Zia Ahmad noted that Kabul "maintains close ties with relevant UN agencies" as well as "all the participants of the upcoming meeting"

DUBAI, February 14. /TASS/. Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov met with Foreign Minister of the interim Taliban (outlawed in Russia) government of Afghanistan Amir Khan Muttaqi, Deputy Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hafiz Zia Ahmad said.

"They discussed Afghanistan-Russia bilateral relations, the upcoming meeting in Doha and the Afghan leadership’s participation in it," the spokesman said on his X page.

The minister noted that Kabul "maintains close ties with relevant UN agencies" as well as "all the participants of the upcoming meeting."

The main condition for securing the Taliban delegation’s attendance is that they be given the chance to hold a direct and substantive dialogue with the UN.

On February 9, Russian Special Presidential Representative for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov, who also serves as director of the Foreign Ministry’s Second Asian Department told TASS that a new international meeting of special representatives on Afghanistan under the auspices of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will be held in Doha on February 18-19. The diplomat also added that he would represent Russia at the meeting.

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