Zamir Kabulov, adviser to Russia’s foreign minister and the president’s special envoy for Afghanistan, said Moscow firmly opposes the deployment of any US or NATO military facilities in Afghanistan or neighboring countries under any “pretext.”
He expressed hope that the Taliban would “continue this approach.”
Kabulov said Donald Trump has repeatedly called for the United States to retake Bagram airbase, adding that there is nothing new in such demands.
Speaking to RIA Novosti, he said that clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan are local in nature and are not directly linked to developments in the Middle East.
Responding to a question about divisions between the Kandahar and Kabul factions of the Taliban, Kabulov said: “We do not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, so I do not want to comment on internal processes in Afghanistan. However, I should note that the current position of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is consolidated (in my view, there is no doubt about it).”
He added that contacts between the Taliban and Russia remain ongoing, and that foreign ministers of both sides hold regular discussions.
Kabulov further said: “Relations between Russia and Afghanistan have a broad and significant legal framework inherited from the Soviet era. This framework is updated and supplemented when necessary.”
He noted that Russian energy exports to Afghanistan are part of ongoing discussions, but declined to provide figures or details. “I can only say that the Afghan side has shown practical interest in purchasing our products, especially petrol and gasoline,” he said.
The Russian foreign ministry adviser said that although talks are ongoing regarding the possible deployment of Afghan labor to Russia, no concrete agreement has yet been reached.
