Russian Foreign Ministry assesses its contacts with Taliban

Russia maintains working contacts with representatives of the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) that came to power in Afghanistan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"We maintain businesslike contacts with representatives of new Afghanistan’s authorities, including through our embassy in Kabul. The humanitarian sphere is becoming a particularly important area of practical interaction in conditions of the socioeconomic crisis," TASS cited Lavrov as saying.

Russia delivered several batches of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in November and December and helped Afghan students to come to Russia for continuation of education, the Minister noted. "Our colleagues from the Russian Defense Ministry make a huge useful contribution to these friendly efforts," he stressed.