Russian, Tajik Presidents Rule Out Taliban Representation In The Future Afghan Government

Russian president Vladimir Putin ruled out the possibility of Taliban representatives involvement in the future Afghan government. The Russian president told this the press upon the end of the trilateral meeting between the leaders of Russia, Tajikistan and the Islamic state of Afghanistan. "We consider that the Taliban movement has compromised itself by cooperation with international terrorism," stressed Putin. In his words, the aim of Russian policy is to create in Afghanistan a situation whereby the Afghan people would get an opportunity to determine its fate itself and have a government friendly to its neighbors, including Russia". Vladimir Putin stressed that at the trilateral meeting "we have discussed issues related to the future of Afghanistan thoroughly enough". He expressed satisfaction with the Afghan side's resolve to form in its country structures that "would create an atmosphere of friendship and mutual understanding with all countries in the region and enable Afghanistan to rely on broad international support". Tajik president Emomaly Rakhmonov also said that the his country, just as other states, opposes the inclusion of Taliban representatives in the future Afghan government. The lawful Afghan government is prepared to cooperate only with those forces that have not stained themselves by links with terrorists, said the president of the Islamic state of Afghanistan, Burhanuddin Rabbani. In his words, after the Taliban withdraw from the military and political scene, the conditions should be created in the country for the Afghan people to determine their future themselves. Rabbani called today's meeting extremely "important and timely". He expressed gratitude to the Russian and Tajik governments for their support to "the just liberation struggle of the Afghan people."