Russia is near restoring full-fledged relations with the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan, stated Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of the Security Council, on Tuesday.
“At the beginning of the 21st century, we considered the Taliban to be terrorists, and the Americans to be partners in the fight against extremism. Now everything is different,” Medvedev advised Russia’s state news company TASS in an interview.
He added: “Twenty years is a fairly long period, during which history has made many serious pirouettes.”
Medvedev, who served because the Russian president from 2008 to 2012, stated the Taliban administration is attempting to pursue a constructive method in relations with different nations.
Separately, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated Moscow is in touch with its Central Asian companions relating to the removing of the Taliban from the record of terrorist organizations.
Earlier on Monday, Zamir Kabulov, director of the Foreign Ministry’s Second Asia Department, stated each his ministry and the Ministry of Justice had reported to President Putin on the potential removing of the Taliban motion from the record of banned organizations.
Kabulov additionally talked about that Russia had invited the Taliban to take part within the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in separate remarks, has stated the initiative to presumably exclude the Taliban from the record of terrorist organizations “reflects the current objective reality.”
Meanwhile, Mohammad Suhail Shaheen, head of the Taliban’s Political Office in Doha, Qatar, welcomed the Russian plan in an interview with Anadolu.
“We welcome the proposal of the Russian Foreign Ministry and Justice Ministry to President Putin to remove the status of a terrorist organization from IEA (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan),” he stated in an announcement despatched to Anadolu.
“In fact, we never were terrorists but were fighting for (the) liberation of our country from claws of foreign occupation. This was our legitimate right. Unfortunately, it was a name coined by the invading forces and slapped on us for (the) obtainment of the invaders’ political goals and was aimed at maligning us,” he harassed.
Shaheen underscored that the Taliban need optimistic relations with neighboring, regional and world nations.
“Now, we are passing through a new era following (the) independence of Afghanistan. The situation requires us to take steps based on ground realities and do away with political labels of the past,” he stated.
Source: www.anews.com.tr