MOSCOW. Oct 21 (Interfax) - Russia is exploring the possibility of resuming the operations of its consulate general in Afghanistan's Mazar-e-Sharif, Russian Special Presidential Representative for Afghanistan and Director of the Foreign Ministry's Second Asian Department Zamir Kabulov said on the Rossiya-24 (VGTRK) television channel on Wednesday.
"This might happen, we're working on this in an interagency format, we have to make sure that security is guaranteed. The Taliban [banned in Russia] have guaranteed security of not only Russian diplomatic consular institutions, which, by the way, they've been backing up by deeds," Kabulov said when asked whether Russia might reopen its consulate general in Afghanistan.
"The situation in Mazar-e-Sharif is stable. This gives our leadership reasons to consider the [consulate's] reopening. It's just an idea being contemplated, which hasn't yet been translated into practical steps," he said.
In early July, Russia suspended the operations of its consulate general in Mazar-e-Sharif for security reasons "until the situation clears up."