Russian Envoy To Afghanistan Praises Taliban's "Positive And Business-Like" Conduct; Says Kabul Safer Under Taliban

Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan on Monday (16 August) praised the Taliban and said that the outfit, still designated a terrorist oufit in Russia, had made Kabul safer in the first 24 hours than it had been under the previous authorities led by Ashraf Ghani, reports Livemint.

Praising the conduct of the Taliban, Ambassador Dmitry Zhirnov said that he had been impressed by the Taliban's conduct so far, describing their approach as "good, positive and business-like."

Ambassador Zhirnov added, "The situation is peaceful and good and everything has calmed down in the city. The situation in Kabul now under the Taliban is better than it was under Ashraf Ghani."

Ambassador Zhirnov also said, "Yesterday the regime fell like a house of cards. There was a feeling of disorder, a power vacuum, and looters came out on the streets."

Zhirnov also claimed that the schools in Kabul, including those for girls, had started functioning again.

Meanwhile, it should be noted that Zamir Kabulov, President Vladimir Putin's special representative on Afghanistan, said on Monday that Moscow's long campaign to build ties with the Taliban appeared now to be paying off. He said, "It's not for nothing that we've been establishing contacts with the Taliban movement for the last seven years."

Kabulov added, "We saw that this force would in the end if not completely come to power would play a leading role in the future of Afghanistan in any case."