Karzai says he discussed measures to combat IS in Afghanistan with Putin, Lavrov
MOSCOW. June 25 (Interfax) - Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai says Russian leaders and he had discussed measures to oppose the terrorist organization Islamic State banned in Russia, at their recent meetings in Moscow.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Karzai said combat against the Islamic State was among the key subjects of his conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday evening.
The situation in Afghanistan has a direct effect on Russia and vice versa, he said.
Karzai added that he had also met with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during his visit to Moscow. He said he had proposed combining Russia's and Afghanistan's efforts in combating extremism at his meetings with Putin and Lavrov.
Along with more intensive bilateral interaction between Afghanistan and Russia, it would also be desirable for China and India to be more active in opposing extremism in Afghanistan, Karzai said, adding that these three countries would play a significant role in the region.
Karzai also confirmed that President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan would visit Russia to attend an upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Ufa in July 2015. While visiting Russia, Ghani will meet with Putin to promote relations between the two countries, which both of them are seeking, he said.
It was reported earlier that Putin had met with Karzai on Wednesday.
Russia is concerned about the situation in Afghanistan, where the Islamic State and Taliban control a significant part of the country's territory, Putin said at the meeting with the former Afghan president.
Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani said at a conference in Moscow in early June that his country expected that the SCO member states would continue supporting it and expected that its status in the SCO would be changed.
Afghanistan currently holds dialogue partner status in the SCO.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a regional international organization set up in Shanghai in 2001. Its members are currently China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Russian presidential envoy for SCO affairs Bakhtiyer Khakimov said on May 29 that the Afghan president was expected to attend the upcoming SCO summit in Ufa.