Russia hopes the confrontation between Taliban and opposing forces in Panjshir Valley – the mountainous region leading resistance against Taliban rule in Afghanistan – will be solved through negotiations, the country's foreign minister said on Thursday.
Asked if Russia can play the role of a mediator between the opposing sides, Sergey Lavrov said there are no such intentions.
"We have long called on the Taliban and all other ethnic and political groups in Afghanistan to agree on the establishment of an inclusive transitional government. We are not planning to act as a mediator in these negotiations now," he told a news conference in the city of Yekaterinburg.
After the Taliban's swift takeover of power in Afghanistan, the Panjshir Valley in the north is the only territory not under the group’s control. Negotiations have so far failed and there are conflicting reports on clashes.
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