Russia says Taliban have accepted invitation to talks

MOSCOW — Russia's foreign minister says the Taliban have accepted an invitation to attend talks on Afghanistan in Moscow.

Sergey Lavrov said yesterday that Russia has invited the Taliban to the Sept. 4 talks and received a positive response, voicing hope for "productive" negotiations.

Lavrov reaffirmed that Russia's contacts with the Taliban aim to ensure the safety of Russian citizens in Afghanistan and encourage the Taliban to abandon hostilities and engage in a dialogue with the government.

Russia's Foreign Ministry also strongly rejected the claim by Afghan Ambassador to Moscow, Abdul Qayyum Kochai, who said that Russia hopes to use the Taliban to combat the Islamic State group. It hailed the Afghan government's offer of a holiday cease-fire, adding that the Taliban's apparent rejection of it is regrettable.