Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stressed the need for national consensus in Afghanistan and the inclusion of all ethnic and political groups in the country’s power structure.

His remarks came at the conclusion of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers’ summit held in China.

Lavrov said that nearly all SCO member states have strengthened bilateral relations with the Taliban, with the organisation maintaining a unified stance on the importance of an Afghanistan free from terrorism and drug trafficking.

He highlighted the necessity of providing effective support for Afghanistan’s reconstruction and long-term development as an independent, neutral, and peaceful state.

Russia has recently become one of the first major powers to formally recognise the Taliban regime. For the past four years, Moscow has consistently called on the Taliban to establish a more inclusive government.

Since returning to power, the Taliban has marginalised political and social groups, placing loyalists in key state positions. The group has accused former officials and ex-mujahideen leaders of cooperating with foreign forces, while continuing to assert that its government is inclusive.