Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have agreed their countries will step up efforts to counter "threats" emerging from Afghanistan following the Taliban's takeover, the Kremlin said Wednesday.

In a phone call, the two leaders "expressed their readiness to step up efforts to combat threats of terrorism and drug trafficking coming from the territory of Afghanistan," the Kremlin said in a statement.

They also spoke of the "importance of establishing peace" in Afghanistan and "preventing the spread of instability to adjacent regions".

Putin and Xi "agreed to intensify bilateral contacts" and "make the most of the potential" of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) that is due to convene for a summit in Tajikistan next month.

Several ex-Soviet republics in Central Asia -- where Moscow holds military bases -- share a border both with Afghanistan and China.

While Moscow has been cautiously optimistic about the new leadership in Kabul, Putin has warned of Afghan militants entering neighbouring countries as refugees.

Putin has also criticised the involvement of outside powers in Afghanistan's domestic affairs and said Moscow had "learnt lessons" from the Soviet Union's decade-long invasion of the country.

For its part, after the Taliban swept to power on August 15, China said it is ready to deepen "friendly and cooperative relations" with Afghanistan.

Moscow evacuates Russians, ex-Soviet citizens from Afghanistan
Moscow (AFP) Aug 25, 2021 - Russia's armed forces said they began evacuating more than 500 Russians and citizens of several ex-Soviet states from Afghanistan on Wednesday.

The evacuations were the first made public by Russia, which has taken a cautiously optimistic outlook of the new Taliban leadership in Kabul.

Moscow said it sent four military transport planes to fly out more than 500 citizens of Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine.

The evacuations were being organised at the behest of President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Russia's military said in a statement.

Each plane had drinking water, individual rations and blankets for the evacuees, the statement added.

While Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are members of a Moscow-led security bloc, Ukraine and Russia have had strained ties since Moscow in 2014 annexed Crimea and pro-Russia separatists broke away in the east.

Unlike Western countries, Russia has not evacuated its embassy in Kabul, having secured guarantees of the mission's protection from the militants.

Last week Russia's ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov said the Taliban were "engaged in restoring order" in Kabul and were behaving in a "responsible, civilised manner".

But on Tuesday the Kremlin suggested that some of the embassy staff's families -- women and children -- may have been taken out of Afghanistan.

Russia in recent years has reached out to the Taliban and is seeking contact with the group to stop the instability from spilling over into Central Asia where Moscow maintains military bases.

While some countries have welcomed Afghan refugees fleeing the Taliban, Putin has warned against an influx into Russia, saying militants could enter the country under the guise of seeking asylum.

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US tells citizens to avoid Kabul airport due to 'security threats,'
Washington (AFP) Aug 21, 2021
The United States on Saturday urged its citizens in Afghanistan to avoid traveling to the Kabul airport for now, citing "potential security threats" near its gates. The warning, posted on the website of the US Embassy in Afghanistan and tweeted by the State Department in Washington, provided no detail on the nature of the threat. But conditions outside Hamid Karzai International Airport have been chaotic amid the crush of people hoping to flee the Taliban takeover of the country. As thousand ... read more