Moscow, Russia | XINHUA | The imposition of external values on Afghanistan is an irresponsible policy, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday during a press conference following talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Moscow.
“It is necessary to end the irresponsible policy of imposing one’s external values from the outside, the desire to build democracies in other countries according to external principles, without taking into account historical, national or religious specificities and completely ignoring the traditions by which other peoples live,” Putin said.
During a discussion of the current situation in Afghanistan and the consequences of the Taliban’s takeover, Putin said it is necessary to prevent the collapse of the Afghan state.
He added it is completely counterproductive to impose new forms of government on the region, as such experiments only lead to the collapse of states and the destruction of political and social systems.
Putin said that while the Taliban have announced they are working toward establishing public order and are prepared to guarantee the safety of local residents and diplomatic missions, it is important that all of this is put into practice.
“It is especially important to prevent the movement of terrorist groups into the territory of states adjacent to Afghanistan, including under the guise of refugees,” he added.
Merkel in turn said that the situation in Afghanistan is very worrying and the international community must prevent the resurgence of terrorism in Afghanistan.
She also asked the Russian leader to raise the issue of humanitarian aid during future negotiations with the Taliban.
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Xinhua