First diplomat of new Afghan govt accredited in Russia - Lavrov

MOSCOW. March 31 (Interfax) - The first diplomat representing Afghanistan's new government has been accredited in Russia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

"The first Afghan diplomat sent by the new authorities arrived in Moscow last month. He received accreditation with our ministry," Lavrov said at the 3rd foreign ministers meeting of Afghanistan's neighboring countries in Tunxi, China.

"It is possible to confirm that, despite a lack of governance experience, [the presence of] financial and economic restrictions, and political and diplomatic pressure from the U.S. and its allies, the administration of Afghanistan, on the whole, has been able to keep the state afloat," Lavrov said.

At the same time, "its insufficient representation remains the main obstacle to recognition of the government in Kabul," he said.

The new authorities ought to represent not only various ethnic groups and national and religious minorities of the country, but also its political forces, Lavrov said.