A former Mujahideen keeps watch at a check post as he holds a weapon to support Afghan forces in their fight against Taliban on the outskirts of Herat province in Afghanistan
MOSCOW: Russia has urged Afghanistan and the Taliban to start meaningful negotiations on forming a transitional coalition government before it is too late, the RIA news agency cited Russia's foreign ministry as saying on Wednesday. A Taliban delegation in Moscow last week said that the group controlled more than 85% of territory in Afghanistan - an assertion dismissed by the government - and told Russia it would not let the country be used as a platform to attack others.