Moscow ready to establish contacts with US on Afghanistan - Lavrov

MOSCOW, February 7. /TASS/. Moscow is prepared to establish contacts with the United States on Afghanistan and this will be to the benefit of everyone, first of all the Afghan people, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after talks with his Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani on Tuesday. According to Lavrov, Russia maintained some contacts on Afghanistan with the previous US administration but they were "sporadic" and lacked confidence. Russia’s top diplomat said he is convinced that Russia and the US will establish "partner cooperation" taking into consideration that US President Donald Trump confirmed that the fight against the Islamic State terrorist group is a top priority in the international affairs. "As soon as the structures are formed in Washington, which will deal with the war on terror and the Afghan issue in broader terms, both in the State Department, the White House and other bodies of the US administration, I’m sure that our contacts will be established," Lavrov said. "This will be to the benefit of everyone, including our Afghan friends," he said. Read more