Russia Invites Taliban to Moscow for International Talks on Afghanistan

Russia has been worried about the proliferation of "Islamic extremism" near its southern borders.

The Taliban is currently ruling Afghanistan. 

(File Photo)

Zamir Kabulov, a representative of Russia said on Thursday, 7 October, that the country will invite Taliban representatives for international talks on Afghanistan that are scheduled to be held in Moscow on 20 October, Reuters reported.

President Vladimir Putin's special representative on Afghanistan refused to provide any more details on the scheduled conference.

In March this year, four countries – the US, Russia, China, and Pakistan – had met in a conference where they had called for the Taliban and the Ghani government to put an end to the violence.

With US troops out of the way and the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, Russia is worried about "Islamic extremism" spreading to countries that used to be a part of the Soviet Union, like Tajikistan.

Russia views these former Soviet countries as a defensive buffer for its southern borders.

Just after the Taliban takeover, Russia held talks and military exercises in Tajikistan and upgraded its equipment in the Russian military bases present there.

Putin also had a phone call with Emomali Rakhmon, president of Tajikistan, discussing the security situation of the region, the Reuters reported.

(With inputs from Reuters.)