By Ebi Kesiena
Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has stated that Russia needs to work with the Taliban Government in Afghanistan.
Speaking on Friday at a meeting of a China and Russia-led security bloc, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation via video link, Putin said Russia supported a United Nations Conference on Afghanistan and that world powers should consider unfreezing Afghanistan’s assets.
According to Putin, with Russia and other countries like Moscow and Beijing working closely with the Taliban, a check to ensure that the Taliban keeps its promises on preventing terrorism and drug trafficking will be guaranteed.
Moscow has been cautiously optimistic of the Taliban since it came to power last month after a series of lightning offensives across Afghanistan.
Moscow and Beijing have moved to assert themselves as key players in the region, after the US’ hasty retreat from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s takeover of the country.
Other founding members of the SCO are former Soviet Central Asian states Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan joined the bloc in 2017.
