US and its allies must assume major obligations for Afghanistan reconstruction: Putin

The United States and its allies should assume the main obligations for the post-war reconstruction of Afghanistan, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

“According to our firm conviction, the main obligations for the reconstruction of Afghanistan, first of all financial, should be undertaken by the United States and its allies, whose twenty-year presence has brought this country to the critical line,” Putin said after talks with his Turkmen counterpart Serdar Berdimuhamedov.

The Russian leader said that Moscow is ready to continue joint work with Turkmenistan and other partners, including within the framework of the Moscow format of consultations, on the post-conflict reconstruction of Afghanistan and the integration of the country into regional infrastructure and logistics projects, Russian state news agency TASS reported.

“During the exchange of views on the situation in Afghanistan, both sides noted the importance of ensuring stability and security in this country, solving acute socio-economic problems and neutralizing threats emanating from the Afghan territory,” Putin said, adding that it is primarily related to terrorism.

Putin has repeatedly criticized US military intervention in Afghanistan.

In September last year, Putin said that the US intervention had achieved nothing but tragedy and loss of life on all sides and showed it was impossible to foist foreign values on other nations.