UNITED NATIONS, Apr 26 (APP): The Taliban regime, which has no international recognition, is a reality on the ground and there’s a need to talk with them, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.
At the same time, he told a crowded press conference at UN Headquarters in New York — his first after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — that his country will not recognize it until they comply with (and) honour their own pledges to the international community.
They (the Taliban) will have to ensure inclusivity in the governing structures, not just inclusivity at the ethnic level, but also at the political level, he said.
There is also the issue of human rights, including the rights of Afghan women and girls, he pointed out.
These issues will be discussed at a meeting of special representatives for Afghanistan convened by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Doha next month, the Russian foreign minister added.
Russia, he said, supports the meeting convened by the UN chief set to take place on May 1 and 2.
In this regard, he said the West should not dodge Afghanistan-themed discussions.
“We certainly believe that the West should not dodge discussions because it stayed in Afghanistan for 20 years and did nothing to boost its economy in any way,” the foreign minister said.
Lavrov emphasized that the development of Afghanistan requires the money that has been frozen by the United States.
