Senior Russian diplomat meets with top Afghan officials in Kabul

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) — Russia said Tuesday that its presidential envoy for Afghanistan met with several officials of the interim Taliban government in the capital Kabul.

Zamir Kabulov held separate talks with Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed Abdul Kabir, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"The main topics on the agenda were the further development of diverse bilateral cooperation in the political and economic areas, the establishment of regional cooperation with Afghanistan within the framework of the Moscow format," it said.

The sides also discussed "the responsibility of the US and its allies for the negative consequences of 20 years in Afghanistan," as well as necessity of lifting sanctions, unfreezing Afghanistan's assets and transferring them to the nation's Central Bank.