Afghanistan Favors Deeper Cooperation With Russia on Security Issues

Afghanistan's top diplomat said Kabul sought deeper security cooperation with Moscow.

کد خبر: ۶۶۴۷۱۱

تاریخ: ۱۹ بهمن ۱۳۹۵ - ۱۳:۵۸

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani said Tuesday that Afghanistan wanted deeper cooperation with Russia on a range of security challenges.

"We are in favor of further deepening of our bilateral relations" Rabbani said on Tuesday during the talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.

The Afghan foreign minister added that there were a number of topics to be discussed, including the global challenges such as terrorism and drug trafficking as well as a number of bilateral cooperation matters.

"We are interested in increasing oil imports from Russia," Rabbani said.

Russia Seeks Closer Ties With Afghanistan, Supports Kabul Stabilization Efforts

Rabbani also thanked Russia for condolences over the death of people along the Afghan-Pakistani border after three days of heavy snowfall caused a series of deadly avalanches Sunday.

Afghanistan is in a state of political and social turmoil, with government forces fighting the continuing Taliban insurgency. The instability has persisted in the country since the 2001 US-led invasion to defeat the Taliban and al-Qaeda in the wake of the 9/11 attacks in the United States. The lack of control and instability turned the country into home to the largest opium poppy production and distribution network in the world.