Dmitry Zhirnov, Russia’s ambassador to Afghanistan, met with Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul on Saturday.

According to Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two sides discussed the expansion of bilateral relations, shared interests, and ways to further strengthen ties between the two countries.

They also exchanged views on the regional situation and emphasized that continued relations between Afghanistan and Russia are in the interests of both countries in light of ongoing regional developments.

The meeting also covered future cooperation between the two countries, with both sides stressing the need to further expand Afghanistan-Russia relations.

The Islamic Emirate says it distributed more than 12.6 billion afghanis in cash assistance to 650,000 orphans, widows and persons with disabilities across Afghanistan during the 1447 Hijri year.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, made the announcement on Saturday during the “Government in the Mirror of the Media” program, outlining government assistance and social support programs over the past year.

According to Mujahid, the Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled Affairs registered 680,583 orphans, widows and persons with disabilities across the country during 1447 Hijri. The figure included 403,202 orphans, 101,152 widows and 175,229 persons with disabilities.

He said 12.6 billion Afghanis in cash assistance was distributed through the banking system to 650,000 eligible recipients. Food and non-food assistance worth around $10 million was also provided to nearly 100,000 families in need.

The government has allocated another 14.5 billion Afghanis in the 1405 fiscal-year budget to continue supporting vulnerable groups, according to the report.

Support for Children and Vulnerable Families

The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs provided support to 10,930 orphaned and unaccompanied children during the year, including 5,548 children who are currently receiving care at state-run orphanages.

The ministry also handled 13,774 cases involving children at risk. A further 7,230 children—including trafficking victims, children at risk and those under the care of juvenile rehabilitation centers—were reunited with their families and reintegrated into society.

The report said 14,211 children received education and care in kindergartens. With support from partner organizations, food assistance was distributed to more than 351,000 low-income families, cash assistance was provided to more than 237,000 people, and non-food assistance was delivered to around 52,000 families in need.

Nearly 2 Million Returnees

The report also highlighted the return of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries.

During 1447 Hijri, 419,075 families, comprising 1,997,471 people, returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan, Iran and Türkiye.

Since the Islamic Emirate returned to power, a total of 660,581 families, or 4,481,704 people, have returned to the country, according to the figures presented by the government.

The Ministry of Economy said more than $21.995 million and over 48 million Afghanis had been mobilized from domestic and international organizations to support deported migrants.

An additional $22.297 million and more than 93 million Afghanis were collected for people affected by natural disasters.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock also distributed cash assistance and wheat to 50,000 returnee families during the winter season.

Assistance to Disaster Victims and Displaced Families

The National Disaster Management Authority said food and non-food assistance was provided to more than 172,000 families affected by natural disasters during 1447 Hijri.

The authority also distributed 1.99 billion Afghanis and 582,000 Afghanis in cash assistance to 298,454 families.

As part of resettlement efforts, 4,352 residential houses were constructed or rebuilt, while 278 protective and infrastructure projects were implemented, creating employment opportunities for more than 84,000 people.

Assistance was also provided to 38,901 internally displaced families. More than 180,000 earthquake-affected families in Balkh, Samangan and Kunar provinces received cash and non-cash assistance.

Health and Social Services

The report said officials from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue, Prevention of Vice and Hearing of Complaints identified and referred 12,510 people with mental health conditions to the Afghan Red Crescent Society for treatment and care.

The Afghan Red Crescent Society provided food, non-food and cash assistance to 382,571 people. Around 90,000 families received food and non-food assistance, while more than 1.005 billion Afghanis in cash assistance was distributed to approximately 70,000 families.

More than 179,000 returnees also received health services from the Afghan Red Crescent Society.

Mujahid also said the Islamic Emirate has not used foreign assistance allocated to organizations operating in Afghanistan.

He said European countries have reduced their assistance to Afghanistan because of economic difficulties, while stressing that Afghan people continue to need international assistance.

Western countries are continuing efforts to destabilize the Eurasian region and are seeking to establish military infrastructure in Central Asia under the pretext of countering threats from Afghanistan, a senior Russian security official said.

Alexey Shevtsov, Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council, made the remarks during a session titled “CSTO-SCO: Security Space” at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).

Shevtsov said worsening economic conditions had not stopped Western countries from pursuing what he described as efforts to destabilize the Eurasian region. He claimed that, following the loss of colonial and neocolonial mechanisms of influence in Africa, Western countries were increasingly seeking access to Eurasia’s resources and logistics routes.

He pointed to conflicts and tensions in Ukraine, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Afghanistan, the Middle East, the Taiwan Strait and other areas as examples of what he described as Western efforts to destabilize the region.

According to Shevtsov, Western countries are also seeking to deploy military infrastructure in Central Asian countries, particularly by citing the threat from Afghanistan.

“Westerners continue to persistently attempt to deploy their military infrastructure in Central Asian countries, particularly under the pretext of countering the threat from Afghanistan,” Shevtsov said, arguing that the threat was being exaggerated for these purposes.

Shevtsov also said NATO countries conducted more than 100 military exercises in 2025, with most taking place on the alliance’s eastern flank. He claimed the exercises focused more on offensive than defensive operations, including breaching defensive positions and capturing territory.

The Russian official also cited the so-called “Trump route” in Armenia as another example of what he described as Western efforts to expand influence in the region. He claimed the project would be economically ineffective even under favorable conditions and could allow the United States to establish intelligence and potentially military infrastructure near Iran’s borders.

Shevtsov said the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) should play a central role in strengthening security and stability across Eurasia.

He argued that cooperation between the two organizations could serve as the basis for creating an architecture of “equal and indivisible security” in the region, encompassing both military and economic cooperation.