Moscow does not rule out opening more consulates in Afghanistan in the future, Russian Ambassador to Kabul Dmitry Zhirnov said in an interview with TASS.

“So far, there is no need for this but nothing can be ruled out in the future. Russia and Afghanistan established diplomatic relations in 1919; back then, apart from the embassy in Kabul and a consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif, we also opened consulates in Herat and Maymana, and planned to open a consulate in Jalalabad,” he said in response to a question.

Zhirnov also reiterated the Foreign Ministry’s recommendation that Russian nationals refrain from visiting Afghanistan for private purposes due to the tense security situation in the country. “In May, militants from ISIL (ISIS/Daesh) attacked a group of foreign tourists at a market in the capital of the Bamyan Province. Three Spaniards were killed, while Australian, Spanish, Lithuanian and Norwegian nationals suffered wounds,” the envoy noted.

Russia was one of the few countries to have maintained an embassy in Kabul when the former government collapsed and the IEA regained power.

While Moscow does not officially recognize the IEA government, efforts are reportedly being made to remove the Islamic Emirate from its list of militant organizations, which many consider the first move towards official recognition.

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