MOSCOW – Moscow has welcomed the recent brief delivered by the US nationalsecurity adviser Herbert McMaster during a briefing to the UN SecurityCouncil regarding the situation of Afghanistan, it has been reported,Khaama Press has reported.
Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzyasaid on Tuesday that McMaster had a meeting with the Security Councilmembers on January 10. “He briefed us on Afghanistan, which was veryuseful,” the Russian diplomat quoted by TASS News said.
He also added “He mentioned that it is necessary for Russia and US tocooperate on Afghanistan, which is an issue we can establish cooperationin.”
“I fully agreed, saying that President Putin thanked Americans for presencein Afghanistan and their efforts during his annual press conference inDecember, and stressed the need to cooperate regarding the issue,” Nebenzyasaid following the meeting with McMaster.
This comes as the Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier emphasizedon the importance role of the US military presence in Afghanistan as heexpressed concerns regarding the deteriorating security situation inAfghanistan, saying the situation in Afghanistan would have been probablyworse in the absence of the US forces.
“Indeed, it [the situation with terrorist threat in Afghanistan] hasworsened, it is true, it keeps deteriorating,” Putin told a meeting withthe parliamentary leadership late in December.
“But if the US were not there, it would probably be worse,” Putin wasquoted as saying in a report by TASS News Agency. “Russia and the US “havecomplex relationship, but we must approach the subject objectively,” Putinsaid.