KABUL, 01 April 2022, (TON): Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said “Russia has accredited a diplomat from the Taliban to engage with the new Afghan government but remains concerned about the threat of Islamist groups spilling over into Russia via Central Asia.”

Russia hosted an international conference on Afghanistan last year to try to reach a peace deal and curb violence between the Taliban and the then Afghan government.

Russia has labelled the Taliban a terrorist organisation but has welcomed their members on numerous occasions for talks.

Since Russia's mediation efforts, the United States and its allies withdrew their troops from Afghanistan after 20 years there and the Taliban seized power in August as the U.S.-backed government collapsed.

Speaking at an Afghanistan-focused conference in China, Lavrov said that growing trade and economic ties between Afghanistan and countries in the region was contributing to the potential international recognition of their administration.

He said a Taliban envoy was already active in Moscow.