Abdul Kochai

MOSCOW, August 21 (Sputnik) – The Russian Foreign Ministry denied on Tuesday the allegations by the Afghan ambassador in Russia that Moscow was planning to use the Taliban against militants from the Islamic State terrorist group (IS banned in Russia) in Afghanistan.

“We paid attention to the recent statement by the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Moscow, Abdul Kochai, that the Russian Federation allegedly plans to use the Taliban Movement against the Islamic State in Afghanistan,” the ministry said in a statement.

“We would definitely like to state that the claims by the head of the Afghan diplomatic mission in Moscow are false and completely distort the meaning of the policy of the Russian Federation in regard to Afghanistan,” the ministry stressed.

According to the statement, Moscow deeply regrets that the Afghan ambassador, instead of helping in every way to maintain an atmosphere of partnership and mutual trust between Russia and Afghanistan, takes steps that lead to the opposite result.