Moscow sees attempts to destabilize the geopolitical situation in Asia made by military and narrow political structures which impede interstate interaction in the region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on Tuesday at a meeting of the top diplomats of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia’s member countries.
“Unfortunately, the geopolitical situation in the region is not getting better, restraining a transition to comprehensive multilateral cooperation and integration. We see deliberate attempts to escalate the situation, undermine the existing mechanisms of interstate interaction,” the top diplomat noted.
According to Lavrov, some narrow political structures and military blocs, sticking to the logic of the cold war and a policy of containment, “contribute to the destabilization of the situation in Asia.”
The Taliban (outlawed in Russia) embarked on a large-scale operation to take control of Afghanistan after the US had announced its intention to withdraw its forces in the spring. On August 15, Taliban fighters swept into Kabul without encountering any resistance, with Afghanistan’s then President Ashraf Ghani subsequently fleeing the country. On September 6, the Taliban gained full control over Afghanistan, and on September 7, the radicals announced the new interim government.
