ST. PETERSBURG (TASS): Moscow calls on the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) to form an inclusive government, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.
“All we want – we call on our Afghan neighbors to make the process [of forming the government] all-embracing. And the Taliban, who came to power after President [Ashraf] Ghani fled the country, have declared that they will form such a government. We encourage them to do it. I hope they will,” he said, adding that the final decision on this process should be up to the Afghan people.
Russia will gladly participate in the ceremony marking the announcement of a new Afghan government if it is an inclusive one, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters.
“We want to support the government forming process if this government reflects the whole spectrum of the Afghan society, including the Taliban and other ethnic groups, not just Pashtuns, such as Uzbeks, Hazaras and Tajiks. Only such an inclusive government can ensure a sustainable move forward to a new life. If this is what we are talking about, I believe that we will gladly take part in this ceremony with other invited countries that yield influence over the situation in this country,” he answered a TASS question.
