Russian, Iranian presidents discuss recent developments in Afghanistan

In their first conversation since the former Iranian judiciary chief assumed presidential office, Vladimir Putin and Ebrahim Raisi expressed readiness to contribute to the Afghan peace settlement.

Putin and Raisi also discussed prospects of the revival of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, as well as issues related to the next summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), said a statement released by the Kremlin.

Meanwhile, IRNA says Raisi and Putin further discussed the prospect of resuming talks to implement the UN Security Council.

Negotiations to revive the P5 + 1 between Iran and Iran, which have been held in Vienna for several rounds, have stalled since June 20 and are expected to resume in September. 

Presidents of Iran and Russia expressed their satisfaction with the level of relations between the two countries following a telephone conversation.

Raisi and Putin reportedly stressed their commitment to the continuation of mutually beneficial cooperation on main issues on the bilateral agenda, including major joint projects in trade and economic fields and cooperation in combating the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Taliban overran the Afghan capital Kabul on August 15.  While President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani fled the country and is now in the United Arab Emirates (UAE); the group has declared that the war in Afghanistan is over, and that efforts to form a government are underway.

While Moscow sees the Taliban's willingness for an "inclusive" setup as encouraging, Tehran has welcomed the formation of a coordination council (comprising Afghan leaders) to oversee the political transition in Afghanistan.