Russia Not to Impose Any Conditions on Taliban, Says Lavrov
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After the Taliban announced its governance in Afghanistan and pledged to develop its ties with other countries, the Russian Foreign Minister says no-one is in a hurry to recognize its authority over Afghanistan.
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Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov: No-one is in a hurry to recognize the Taliban (Reuters).
Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday that Russia would not be imposing any conditions on the Taliban. However, it will observe how the group would fulfill their pledges.
Lavrov asserted that no one is in a hurry to officially recognize the Taliban. He also explained that it's still too early to reach conclusions regarding the new government.
"Everyone is talking about the necessity of having contact with the Taliban regarding the current issues, first and foremost, about security issues, respecting the rights of citizens, and ensuring the work of diplomatic missions," he said. "However, no-one is in a hurry to recognize the Taliban," he added.
Regarding the potential migration crisis, the Russian diplomat stressed that his country would not bear the burden of responsibility for the potential migration crises caused by the Western nations' actions.
"Migrants come from Afghanistan, Iraq, and all those countries that were 'riled up' by our Western colleagues, and now these Western colleagues are raising voices, calling the actions of the Belarusian side 'a hybrid war," he told reporters.
Lavrov emphasized that he has once and once again reminded that illegal migration first became an acute problem after NATO bombed Libya and Libya "turned into a black hole."
In turn, the United States had previously expressed its concern regarding the Taliban announcing a new government, saying that they would judge the group based on their actions.
A US State Department spokesman said in a statement that the United States was concerned about the "affiliations and records" of some people the Taliban chose for important posts in the new government.
Qatari Foreign Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian said Monday that it is not the time to discuss the recognition of the Taliban.
"The gains of the Afghan people must be preserved and women's rights and role in Afghanistan's development must be respected," Al-Thani said. On the other hand, Le Drian asserted that there are doubts regarding the Taliban's pledges to educate women and provide them with rights.
However, Le Drian said Sunday the Taliban was "lying," stressing that France would not establish ties with its government.
The Taliban had pledged a week ago to develop its ties with countries within the framework of Sharia Law. The group expressed its intention to establish positive and solid ties with all countries and to take "serious and effective" steps to defend human rights in Afghanistan.
The Taliban had previously pledged to form an ‘inclusive’ government and they established ties with Afghan figures who had publicly opposed them in the past, such as former President Hamid Karzai and former Vice President Abdullah Abdullah. It is unclear how the Taliban will be treating minorities and dissidents. However, this government will be a true test for their intentions.
