The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan's (IEA) Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, has thanked Russia for maintaining &friendly relations& with IEA over the past two decades.Speaking in a ceremony held on the occasion of the National Day of the Russian Federation at the Russian Embassy in Kabul, Stanikzai also suggested that Russia's political support for the IEA has been vital at the international level summits.We thank the Russian Federation for the friendly relations that Russia has had with us over the past two decades and for the political support they have given us at the international level and at the United Nations and in the international meetings,& Stanikzai said.Although Moscow has not yet recognized the new government of Afghanistan, it has accepted IEA's diplomats and handed over the Afghanistan Embassy in Moscow to the IEA.Russia has also repeatedly urged the international community to engage and cooperate with the new government of Afghanistan.Moscow, however, has repeatedly voiced concern over the terrorism threat in Afghanistan and the country has conducted joint military exercises with Tajik forces in the border areas between Tajikistan and Afghanistan. The post Deputy FM Stanikzai appreciates Russia's ‘friendly relations& with IEA first appeared on Ariana News.