Moscow: Russia's ambassador to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, emphasized on Tuesday that Moscow is not contemplating the deployment of its troops in Afghanistan. This statement came as top diplomats from Moscow and Kabul engaged in discussions in the Russian capital.
According to Anadolu Agency, Kabulov firmly dismissed any possibility of Russian military involvement, highlighting Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks at the seventh meeting of consultations on Afghanistan in the Moscow format. Lavrov reiterated Moscow's stance against the deployment of third-party military infrastructure in Afghanistan or its neighboring states.
Kabulov stated that the meeting underscored the commitment of regional states to actively develop ties with the interim Taliban administration across various mutual interests. He also mentioned that interim Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi assured Lavrov that Kabul will not permit foreign military bases in the country, specifically referencing the base in Bagram.
Last month, China, Russia, Iran, and Pakistan collectively opposed any attempts to reestablish military bases in Afghanistan after US President Donald Trump urged the Taliban administration to return Bagram Air Base to the Pentagon. Kabul rejected this demand, while Trump cautioned that negative consequences could ensue if the Taliban did not relinquish control of the air base, which was previously the largest US military site in Afghanistan before the US-led withdrawal in August 2021.
Kabulov also noted that Russia supports ongoing dialogues between the US and the interim Taliban administration regarding the reopening of embassies, expressing Moscow's willingness to welcome diplomatic missions from other countries. The remarks were made during a bilateral meeting between Lavrov and Muttaqi in Moscow, where Lavrov conveyed Russia's commitment to assisting Kabul in tackling issues such as drug trafficking, terrorism, and organized crime.
In an earlier development, Russia recognized the Taliban administration as the official government of Afghanistan in July, becoming the first country to do so.