INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on the sidelines of the St
Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) that work on the possible removal of the Islamic Emirate from Moscow&s terrorist list is
based on the need for contact with Afghanistan.Speaking to TASS she said some media has reacted &nervously to the fact that Russia maintains
contacts with the Taliban (IEA) movement.&&Apparently, those who write about these issues do not realize that the solution to such problems
as the fight against drug trafficking, terrorism and organized crime actually requires contacts
And it is in our interest to respond to changes pragmatically, in line with attitudes focused on national interests,& she said.&Now the
question, which is also of great interest to everyone, is when, how and in what form the decisions on the so-called delisting will be
This is interdepartmental work.&It involves experts from different areas
But it is based on the basic principle of the need to solve the problems created or exacerbated by the Americans inside Afghanistan, and to
which, of course, an answer must be given both inside Afghanistan and by the countries of the region, but also by all other countries of the
world,& she said.Moscow must build up relations with Islamic Emirate government & Vladimir Putin
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin
called for Moscow to &build up& relations with the Islamic Emirate government.Speaking to senior editors of foreign news agencies on the
sidelines of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin said: &We have always believed that we need to deal with reality
The Taliban are in power in Afghanistan… We have to build up relations with the Taliban government.&Putin&s comments also followed those
of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov who also said last week that Moscow planned to take the Islamic Emirate off its list of banned
terrorist organizations.&They are the real power& in Afghanistan, Lavrov said. RELATED STORIES Putin calls for Russia to ‘build up& ties
with Islamic Emirate governmentUN approves travel ban exemptions for four key IEA officialsThe post Delisting Afghanistan&s Islamic Emirate
from banned groups ‘important& for Russia first appeared on Ariana News.
