Russia rules out Taleban talks

Russia says the Taleban should talk to the opposition

By Eurasia analyst Malcolm Haslett

The Russian president's senior security adviser, Mr Sergey Ivanov, has said there is no question of Russia opening talks in the near future with the dominant Taleban movement in Afghanistan.

Burhanuddin Rabbani: Internationally recognised

Sergey Ivanov, an increasingly influential figure in the Putin administration, told the newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda that Russia's position was the same as it always had been.

There was no question of opening talks.

On the contrary, said Mr Ivanov, the international community should step up its sanctions against the Taleban regime, punishing those who provide it with financial and military aid.

He mocked the idea that the Taleban had brought order to Afghanistan.

All they had brought was an increase in drug production and a return to the Middle Ages.

The Taleban, said Mr Ivanov, should open a dialogue with the universally recognised Afghan government of Mr Burhanuddin Rabbani, in order to form a coalition government.

Central Asia softening

Mr Ivanov's hard line contrasts sharply with recent statements by political leaders in Central Asia.

General Musharraf: Taleban backer

The Pakistani leader General Musharraf, one of the Taleban's chief backers, visited Kazakhstan this week.

And the Kazakh president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, appeared to soften his stance to the Taleban considerably, moving closer to the position of his neighbours, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Mr Nazarbayev said the Taleban were likely to dominate any future Afghan government and he was ready for talks with them.

This doesn't necessarily mean the Kazakh leader has stepped out of line with Russia.

It may just be that the Taleban's critics are adopting a "hard cop, soft cop" approach.

While the Kazakhs explore how far Pakistan and the Taleban are prepared to go themselves to reach a compromise, Russia is warning them they can expect a tougher response if they make no concessions.