Russia condemns terrorist attacks in Kabul and calls for speeding up assistance to Afghans in forming an inclusive transitional government, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday at a press conference following talks with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio.
"Afghanistan has understandably taken a significant place in our discussions. We join in condemning the terrorist attacks, condolences to the families of the victims and, of course, we see an additional need to accelerate assistance to the Afghans so that they can form an inclusive transitional government without further delay, involving all major political forces in that country," he said.
According to him, the problem of migrants and refugees from Afghanistan was also discussed at the talks with his Italian counterpart.
"Our Western colleagues always want to somehow join forces and look for joint answers," he said. - "Still, a lesson must be learned - after Iraq, after Libya, and now after Afghanistan. Attempts to impose someone else's system of values are very explosive. I really hope that after the third time it will be possible to establish this conclusion in the minds of politicians who are considering further actions in other countries".
According to the Russian foreign minister, Moscow was ready to support Washington's agreements with the Taliban (banned in Russia), and regrets that they were not implemented.
"We were ready to support the agreements that the Americans made with the Taliban, which, unfortunately, could not be implemented, probably not only because of the Taliban's position," he said.
Lavrov added that Russia is ready to cooperate with all countries to normalize the situation in Afghanistan, with security issues as a priority.
"We will coordinate our actions primarily with our allies and strategic partners within the CSTO and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. We will be ready to cooperate with all other countries that can contribute in good faith to the normalization of the situation in Afghanistan with an emphasis on security. Everything else will be secondary in our priorities," he said.
Security of the southern borders
The foreign minister said Russia considers ensuring the security of its southern borders and allies in Central Asia in connection with the situation in Afghanistan a priority.
"It is fundamentally important for us to ensure the security of our southern borders and our allies in Central Asia," he said.
The minister said the situation in Afghanistan will be discussed at CSTO and SCO summits in mid-September in Dushanbe. According to Lavrov, the discussions will focus on the problem of illegal migrants from Afghanistan, as well as on helping Afghans ensure stability and the normal functioning of civilian institutions.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: MFA
Based on marterials of TASS