MOSCOW, August 15. /TASS/. The Taliban (banned in Russia) controls of all Afghanistan these days and is making efforts to build a peaceful life and grapple with the economic ruin inherited from the previous government, Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov said in exclusive comments for TASS.
"The Taliban controls the entire territory of the country, has achieved some success in the fight against ISIS (the former name of the terrorist group Islamic State, which is banned in Russia) and has proclaimed a course to eradicate the drug industry," the diplomat said. "They are trying to establish a peaceful life, to overcome the devastation caused by the puppet government that ran away."
According to the ambassador, they have to do it in the conditions of harsh US sanctions on the country and the US freeze of the country’s foreign exchange and gold reserves.
"We are working with our foreign partners to ensure that the US and its satellites, who have plunged Afghanistan into a humanitarian catastrophe, finally recognize their responsibility by assuming most of the burden of rebuilding the country’s economic," he said.
Accomplished fact
Zhirnov said that on August 15, 2021 Taliban units entered Kabul, having occupied almost all other population centers in the country a few months before.
"What have the past two years shown? The Taliban is no longer just a fait accompli. Yesterday's guerrillas have quite confidently demonstrated themselves as a power, whose arrival ended the 20-year US-NATO occupation of Afghanistan and the long civil war," the Russian ambassador said.
The diplomat stated that "there is no serious alternative to the Taliban."
"The work we had performed in advance to establish contacts with this military-political group, which was then in armed opposition, has fully justified itself," he said.
Awaiting progress
According to the ambassador, Russia continued to help the Afghan people with large shipments of humanitarian aid after the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan.
"Our deliveries of grain and fuel alleviated the consequences of natural disasters and winter cold for the people," Zhirnov said. "Every year, several hundred scholarships are provided to Afghans for free education in Russian universities in socially important professions."
"We recommend the Taliban to create an inclusive government system that will involve members of all of Afghanistan’s ethnic, religious and political groups, to further intensify the fight against the terrorist underground and drugs. It must be uncompromising," he said. "These are the key issues. We continue to expect progress on them."
Moscow Format
The diplomat added that the Russian Federation is patiently working both bilaterally with Kabul and within the Moscow Format of consultations on Afghanistan.
"This platform includes all its neighbors and brings together countries that play a key role in Afghan affairs. It has gained solid international political weight and authority and has made it possible to develop consensus approaches. The common vision is for Afghanistan to be an independent, neutral, united, democratic and peaceful nation that’s free of terrorism, war and drugs," he said.
The ambassador expressed his conviction in prioritizing a regional approach to the settlement of the Afghan issue.
"Unfortunately, we do not detect any sincere desire to contribute to its resolution in other ways. We see only a desire to push for narrow-minded geopolitical goals to the detriment of Afghanistan's stability and the security of the surrounding region, primarily such powers as Russia, China and Iran," the diplomat said.
Zhirnov noted that there’s a growing number of regional countries that could participate in the Moscow Format.
"Representatives of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey and Indonesia have also been invited to Kazan, where its fifth meeting will be held on September 29. Their contribution to the common efforts will also be important," the ambassador said.
On April 14, 2021, US President Joe Biden announced the end of the operation in Afghanistan, which became the longest overseas military campaign in American history. On August 15 of the same year, the Taliban entered Kabul without meeting any resistance and took control of the city within hours.