Russia clarifies that the attack in front of its embassy in Afghanistan will not affect diplomatic relations

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has clarified that last Monday’s attack in front of the premises of its Embassy in Afghanistan will not affect diplomatic relations between Moscow and Kabul.

“No matter how much the evildoers try, the provocations will not affect our constructive dialogue with Kabul,” Zakharova has asserted in statements to the media, Russian news agency TASS reports.

In this regard, Zakharova has ventured that the attack in front of the Russian Embassy facilities, in which six people were killed, two of them employees of the diplomatic mission, could have been supported by “special services of third countries”.

“According to available data, the Islamic State terrorist group could have been assisted by representatives of the special services of third countries,” the Russian diplomatic spokeswoman noted.

Thus, she added that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Taliban counterpart Amir Jan Muttaqi have agreed during a telephone conversation to “strengthen cooperation in the field of terrorist activities.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed on Monday the death of two employees of its diplomatic mission in Afghanistan after a powerful explosion in the vicinity of the Russian Embassy in Kabul. Taliban officials said the total death toll rose to six.

The event was classified by the Russian authorities as a “terrorist act”, while the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) condemned what happened and stressed the need for the Taliban to take “measures to ensure the safety of people and diplomatic missions”.