During the plenary session of the Valdai International Debate Club, held in the city of Sochi, Vladimi Putin stated Moscow will continue such a cooperation alongside China and will also allot resources and help create conditions for protecting nations from situation in Afghanistan.

‘It is too important for us to establish a mission within SCO. Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are located right on the border with Afghanistan. Our military base is located in Tadjikistan, created on the division 201 basis,’ the Russian president added.

In his speech, Putin did not rule out to exclude the Taliban movement from the list of organizations sponsoring terrorism, but he stressede this is a decision that must be passed by the United Nations (UN).

Putin said the international community hopes with the Taliban, now heading the Afghan Government,’ the situation will develop in a positive way.’

He also stated that Moscow is cooperating to strengthening contacts with present Afghan Government.

The Russian head of state warned about the presence of terrorist groups, including the Islamic State (IS) in Afghanistan and stressed that Russia is pretty aware of how the Taliban movement ‘is trying to deep-six these radical elements.’ Moscow is really interested in seeing Afghanistan emerge from an unending civil war, that Afghan people feel safe in their own country, and that Afghanistan has the chance of developing and bettering itself. ‘We will do as much as possible to achieve that goal,’ Putin said.

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