MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th October, 2021) The new Afghan authorities welcome the recent statement made by Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the possibility of excluding the Taliban (banned in Russia as a terrorist group) from the terrorist list, the Afghan Foreign Ministry's spokesman, Abdul Kahar Balkhi, said.
Putin said earlier this month that Russia expected the situation in Afghanistan to develop in a positive manner. According to the Russian President, a decision on excluding the Taliban from the terrorist list should be made through the UN Security Council.
Abdul Kahar Balkhi said on Twitter commenting on Putin's remarks that the Afghan foreign ministry welcomes the statement made by the Russian president and looks forward to a positive relationship with the international community based on the principle of reciprocity. The Afghan foreign ministry spokesman said that other countries should make "positive changes" in their approach to Afghanistan.
The Taliban came to power in Afghanistan after the seizure of the capital, Kabul, on August 15, which led to the collapse of the previous government and triggered mass evacuations of foreign workers and Afghan collaborators. The last standing province of Panjshir fell in early September, after which the Taliban announced a new all-male government, led by Mohammad Hasan Akhund, a former foreign minister during the previous Taliban rule, who has been under UN sanctions since 2001.
