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Developments in Afghanistan

Ambassador may represent Russia at Afghan government's inauguration — upper house speaker

Valentina Matviyenko stressed that Russia's representation would be no higher than at the embassy level

Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko Alexei Nikolsky/Russian Presidential Press and Information Press Office/TASS

Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko

© Alexei Nikolsky/Russian Presidential Press and Information Press Office/TASS

VIENNA, September 8. /TASS/. The speaker of Russia's Federation Council (upper house of parliament) Valentina Matviyenko believes that Russia will be represented at the inauguration of Afghanistan's new government at the embassy level.

"I believe that representation will be at the level of ambassadors or other members of the diplomatic corps, no higher than that," Matviyenko told the media on Wednesday in reply to a TASS question.

The Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia) launched a massive operation for establishing control of Afghanistan after the United Sates last spring declared the intention to withdraw its armed forces. On August 15, Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani stepped down and left the country. The Taliban entered Kabul without encountering any resistance.

The radicals' opponents organized resistance in Panjshir under the leadership of Ahmad Massoud. Former Vice-President Amrullah Saleh, who had declared himself as acting head of state, came out with a call in Massoud's support.

On Tuesday, the Taliban's spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid unveiled the composition of a new Afghan government, which consists exclusively of Taliban members, most of them Pashtuns, populating the southern areas of Afghanistan.

Massoud said the resistance to the radicals was continuing and called upon all Afghans for a national uprising.

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Power transfer in Afghanistan

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