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Russian diplomat encourages EU to begin returning its diplomatic mission to Kabul

No security threats to either of the diplomatic missions that continued to operate after the Taliban had come to power in Afghanistan have been reported so far, Zamir Kabulov noted

MOSCOW, October 25. /TASS/. Russia welcomes the European Union’s plans to return its diplomatic mission to Kabul and said it was time to stop talking and start acting on this matter, Zamir Kabulov, Russian Special Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan and Director of the Foreign Ministry’s Second Asia Department, said on Monday.

"I have heard about it. It’s good. It’s high time to stop talking and begin acting. As a matter of fact, we thought that they should not have left at all," he said, commenting on the corresponding reports.

According to Kabulov, EU representatives are expected to arrive in Moscow in early November and he plans to meet with them to discuss Afghanistan-related topics.

The Russian diplomat pointed out that not only Russia, but the Chinese and Pakistani embassies, in addition to Kazakhstan’s and Uzbekistan’s diplomatic missions continued to operate in Kabul after the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) had come to power in Afghanistan. "No security threats to either of these diplomatic missions have been reported so far," he said. "I hope it will continue this way. Anyway, the new Kabul authorities are doing their best to ensure security."

After the Biden administration announced the end of its US military operation in Afghanistan and the launch of its troop pullout, the Taliban 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 they had taken control of the entire country and announced a new interim government the following day.

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Russian Foreign Ministry Afghanistan EU

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