Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addresses the 76th session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. (Reuters)
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International recognition of the Taliban &ldquo;at the present juncture is not on the table,&rdquo; Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference on Saturday at the sidelines of the United Nations.</p>
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&quot;What&#39;s most important, is to ensure that the promises that they have proclaimed publicly, are kept,&quot; Lavrov said.</p>
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This comes as a major setback for the Taliban as they are desperately seeking international recognition and have been going out of their way to get the support of Russia.&nbsp;</p>
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Among the Taliban&rsquo;s promises are ensuring an inclusive government and respecting human rights, especially those of women. They have also pledged that they will not let Afghanistan become a haven for terrorists.</p>
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<a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/india-news/desperate-taliban-steps-up-heroin-smuggling-to-raise-cash-116129.html">Desperate Taliban steps up heroin smuggling to raise cash</a></p>
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But the interim Taliban government, Lavrov said, fails to reflect &quot;the whole gamut of Afghan society &mdash; ethno-religious and political forces . We are engaging in talks which&nbsp; are ongoing, he added.</p>
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Lavrov said Russia, the United States, China and Pakistan are working to hold the Taliban to the promises they made when they seized control of Afghanistan in mid-August.</p>
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He also said that the withdrawal of US and NATO forces &ldquo;was carried out without any consideration of the consequences. There are many weapons still left in Afghanistan&rdquo;. It remains critical that such weapons are not used for destructive purposes,&rdquo; he added.</p>
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On Iran, Lavrov said there was a need for greater effort on the part of the U.S. to rejoin the deal.</p>
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&quot;It seems evident they should be more active&quot; in &quot;resolving all issues related&quot; to the accord, Lavrov told reporters, according to an AFP report.</p>
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