Russia, Taliban reach agreement to guarantee staff safety

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced yesterday that its embassy in Kabul has concluded an agreement with the Taliban movement that guarantees the security of its employees and diplomatic mission in Kabul.

The ministry said in a statement that “according to the information available, the situation in Kabul and in Afghanistan as a whole is stable”, noting that the Taliban had begun to restore public order, and provided guarantees for the security of local residents and foreign diplomatic missions.

The ministry called on all Afghan parties to avoid violence and work towards a peaceful solution to the situation.

It also added that the Russian embassy in Kabul “continues to function normally, while working contacts have been established with representatives of the new authorities, in order to ensure the security of the Russian mission.”

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The embassy indicated in its statement that Moscow will continue to closely monitor developments in Afghanistan.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also said that Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on the phone and discussed the situation in Afghanistan and agreed to continue consultations with China, Pakistan, and the United Nations.

The ministry explained that Lavrov has also spoken on phone with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, and discussed political coordination in Afghanistan and its repercussions on the region.

After capturing several strategic provinces in recent days and forcing government forces to surrender or flee, the Taliban fighters arrived on Sunday in the capital Kabul and declared control of the country.