Russia ready to start rebuilding Afghanistan

Russia will take part in economic projects to rebuild Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, Putin's special aide for Afghanistan said. The official who also serves as the Director of the Second Department for Asia of the Russian Foreign Ministry, stressed that Moscow was ready to start working on the projects already now, RIA Novosti reports.

“We have always declared our readiness to participate in international efforts for socio-economic rehabilitation of post-conflict Afghanistan. This time to start working in this direction is coming right now," the official said. He also called on Western states not to freeze financial assets of the new Afghan authorities.

Kabulov does not rule out that the United States may strike Afghanistan again. The threat for drug trafficking from Afghanistan to increase is real, and the struggle against it should not be limited to just verbal statements, he noted. 

On August 15, the Taliban (a terrorist group banned in Russia) announced the establishment of control over the entire territory of Afghanistan. The same day, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani resigned and left the country.