NEW DELHI: Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said India and Russia share the same position on Afghanistan and it’s premature to recognise the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

During the Russian-Indian consultations on multilateral issues, Vershinin said the Russian and Indian stances on Afghanistan are similar and identical in many respects. They boil down to the fact that now it is premature to talk about recognizing the current government in Kabul, he added.

He said that it is clear that humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people should be provided, and it is being provided by both Russia and India. And it should be continued, for reasons including that the 20-year presence of the Americans and their allies in Afghanistan that has caused the situation to become so deplorable these days, including from a humanitarian perspective.

Russian Deputy Minister representative said we expect the current Afghan leadership to fulfil the obligations they have assumed, especially with regard to the inclusivity of the government and with regard to other measures, including in the human rights area.

He also alleged that the presence of American forces and their allies for 20 years in Afghanistan resulted in the current situation in that country. They also discussed Ukraine and on the tensions fanned by the Western nations, NATO and the United States.