ST. PETERSBURG, June 6. /TASS/. The Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia) would like to see athletes representing Afghanistan participating in the 2024 World Friendship Games in Russia this fall, Abdul Manan Omari, the Afghani acting minister of Labor and Social Affairs, told TASS on Thursday.

"We want to participate in the World Friendship Games in Russia," the minister said speaking on the sidelines of the 2024 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Moscow and Yekaterinburg in Russia’s Urals region are slated to co-host the 2024 World Friendship Games on September 15-29.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is held on June 5-8. This year’s theme is "The Formation of New Areas of Growth as the Cornerstone of a Multipolar World."

Scheduled events include meetings for small and medium-sized businesses, creative industries, the SPIEF Youth Day, as well as the Drug Security, SPIEF Academy and SPIEF Junior forums. SPIEF is organized by the Roscongress Foundation. TASS is the information partner of the event.