Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s Tayyip Erdogan discussed the situation in Afghanistan during a phone call and agreed to strengthen bilateral coordination on Afghan issues, the Kremlin said in a statement on Saturday.

The presidents emphasized the priorities were counter-terrorism and tackling drug trafficking, the Kremlin said.

President Erdogan voiced hopes for a soft transition in the country and said that it was important that the Taliban not repeat previous mistakes and to keep their promises with an ethnically inclusive approach.

“The new government to be formed in Afghanistan should be inclusive and representative of the diversity of the Afghan people,” Erdogan told Putin according to a readout following the call.

On Wednesday, Erdogan said Turkey still aims to maintain security at Kabul airport, after Taliban militants took control of Afghanistan’s capital.

Source: Reuters