Russian Foreign Ministry: Pakistan seeks to closely cooperate with Russia

Russia’s Special Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Second Asian Department Zamir Kabulov said that the Pakistani partners have confirmed their determination to closely cooperate with Russia both on bilateral issues and on the Afghan settlement.

"We are very satisfied by the recently held substantive consultations," he stressed.

According to Kabulov, at the meeting the sides discussed a whole number of events happening around Afghanistan. "In particular, the sides hashed over the U.S. delegation’s talks with representatives of the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) in Doha. Both Pakistan and Russia are not aware about the results of the U.S. talks with the Taliban, and the comments by U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad do not give a full picture," he said.

"We are determined to play a constructive role in order to contribute to a speedy national reconciliation in Afghanistan and ending the civil war in that country," TASS cited the special presidential envoy as saying.

"Russia and Pakistan are also watching together the U.S. efforts to reach an agreement with the Taliban, including on withdrawal of foreign troops from the country. This would be a key step on a long path of establishing peace in Afghanistan," Kabulov said.