Russian Special Envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov in an interview with Sputnik said that Moscow prefers that all parties to the conflict in Afghanistan agree on the establishment of an inclusive and transitional coalition government.

Answering a question about the Taliban's alleged agenda to take complete control of Afghanistan, the Russian envoy stated that it would be a bad scenario if the Taliban insisted on such an approach; however, he said, Russia believes that it would be good if there was a transitional coalition government in place in which the Taliban had political status.

Former Vice President Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum on Wednesday said that there is still a presence of some top Al Qaeda affiliates in northern Afghanistan who have close ties with the Taliban.

Dostum said that Nasruddin, who is the grandson of Al Qaeda's founder Osama Bin Laden, and Saifuddin Haqqani, the son of Sirajuddin Haqqani, are currently in the Ghormach and Bala Murghab districts in the north.