Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s foreign minister, has met with Zamir Kabulov, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy for Afghanistan, to discuss expanding bilateral relations.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Tuesday, November 10, that the two sides discussed expanding relations between the Taliban and Russia, particularly increasing trade and making use of existing economic opportunities.
According to the statement, Muttaqi described the expansion of relations with Russia as important and stressed that both sides should take advantage of available economic and trade opportunities based on mutual interests.
Meanwhile, Zamir Kabulov praised the Taliban’s efforts to combat narcotics and described reports by some international organizations about counter-narcotics efforts in Afghanistan as “inconsistent with the facts.”
Muttaqi also said the Taliban remained committed to a serious and sustained fight against drug cultivation, production and trafficking, adding that these efforts were important for both Afghanistan and the wider region.
These remarks come as the United Nations has previously warned that high-risk drug use in Afghanistan, particularly among women and children, is increasing.
