Russian embassy establishes 'working contact' with Taliban

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – The Russian embassy in Kabul has established "working contacts" with the Taliban, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

It was done to ensure the safety of the diplomatic mission, the ministry said in a statement on its official website.

"According to available information, the situation in Kabul and in Afghanistan as a whole is stabilizing. The Taliban began to restore public order, confirmed the security guarantees of local residents and foreign diplomatic missions," it said.

The ministry called on "all Afghan parties" to avoid violence and work toward a peaceful resolution of the situation.

"The Russian Embassy in Kabul continues to function normally. Working contacts have been established with representatives of the new authorities in order to ensure the security of the Russian foreign mission," it said.

Moscow will continue to closely monitor the country's developments, it added.

After capturing many key strategic provincial capitals in recent days, forcing government forces to surrender or flee, Taliban fighters on Sunday reached the capital city.

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani and his close aides have left the country.

Following the departure of Ghani, former President Hamid Karzai, veteran politician Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and top peace negotiator Abdullah Abdullah formed a council with an aim to ensure a smooth transfer of power.