CAIRO, January 29. /TASS/. Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai held a meeting with Russia’s Ambassador to Kabul Dmitry Zhirnov, according to a post published on Karzai’s Facebook page on Saturday.

"The conversation touched upon the current situation [in Afghanistan] and the strengthening of relations between the two countries," the post says.

During his previous meeting with the Russian ambassador in December, Karzai, in particular, thanked Russia for delivering humanitarian aid to Afghans, as well as for supporting Afghan students who had applied for Russian scholarships.

The Taliban (outlawed in Russia) mounted a massive operation to regain control over Afghanistan after the United States announced the withdrawal of its military personnel from the country in the spring of 2021. On August 15, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani stepped down and fled the country, as Taliban forces swept into Kabul, without encountering any resistance. On September 6, they claimed full control of Afghanistan’s territory and on September 7, declared a new interim government, which has not yet been recognized by any country.