Taliban vows to work with Russia, regional players over IS threats

During talks in the Russian capital -- the Taliban's latest high-profile international appearance since they took power in August -- ten participating countries also called for "urgent" humanitarian aid for Afghans and said countries that recently withdrew troops from Afghanistan should fund reconstruction efforts.In a joint statement Wednesday parties to the Moscow meeting said they had raised concerns about the activity of terror groups and "reaffirmed their willingness to continue to promote security in Afghanistan to contribute to regional stability".Taliban representatives prior to the talks in Moscow had met with European Union and US officials and travelled to Turkey to win official recognition and aid from the international community after their takeover in mid-August.The Kremlin's envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov however said official recognition would only come when the Taliban meets expectations on human rights and inclusive governance.On domestic policy, they called on the Taliban to "respect the rights of ethnic groups, women and children".- Calls to unite - French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian addressing the French senate warned Wednesday "if there is not sufficient liquidity in the country, the state itself will collapse"."Not everyone likes the new government in Afghanistan, but by punishing the government, we punish the whole people," he said.The countries, including ex-Soviet states bordering Afghanistan also called for a United Nations international donor conference "as soon as possible".Moscow has reached out to the Taliban and hosted its representatives several times in recent years, even though the Taliban is a designated terrorist organisation in Russia.The Russian president cautioned last week that some 2,000 fighters loyal to the Islamic State group had converged in northern Afghanistan, adding that their leaders planned to send them into neighbouring Central Asian countries disguised as refugees.In the 1980s, Moscow fought a disastrous decade-long war in Afghanistan that killed up to two million Afghans, forced seven million more from their homes and led to the deaths of more than 14,000 Soviet troops. ...

from news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://ift.tt/3lVswnI

October 21, 2021 at 12:19AM
https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
During talks in the Russian capital -- the Taliban's latest high-profile international appearance since they took power in August -- ten participating countries also called for "urgent" humanitarian aid for Afghans and said countries that recently withdrew troops from Afghanistan should fund reconstruction efforts.In a joint statement Wednesday parties to the Moscow meeting said they had raised concerns about the activity of terror groups and "reaffirmed their willingness to continue to promote security in Afghanistan to contribute to regional stability".Taliban representatives prior to the talks in Moscow had met with European Union and US officials and travelled to Turkey to win official recognition and aid from the international community after their takeover in mid-August.The Kremlin's envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov however said official recognition would only come when the Taliban meets expectations on human rights and inclusive governance.On domestic policy, they called on the Taliban to "respect the rights of ethnic groups, women and children".- Calls to unite - French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian addressing the French senate warned Wednesday "if there is not sufficient liquidity in the country, the state itself will collapse"."Not everyone likes the new government in Afghanistan, but by punishing the government, we punish the whole people," he said.The countries, including ex-Soviet states bordering Afghanistan also called for a United Nations international donor conference "as soon as possible".Moscow has reached out to the Taliban and hosted its representatives several times in recent years, even though the Taliban is a designated terrorist organisation in Russia.The Russian president cautioned last week that some 2,000 fighters loyal to the Islamic State group had converged in northern Afghanistan, adding that their leaders planned to send them into neighbouring Central Asian countries disguised as refugees.In the 1980s, Moscow fought a disastrous decade-long war in Afghanistan that killed up to two million Afghans, forced seven million more from their homes and led to the deaths of more than 14,000 Soviet troops. ...