UNITED NATIONS, July 26. /TASS/. The upcoming presidential elections in Afghanistan on September 28 will become a powerful consolidating factor for the whole country, Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vladimir Safronkov told a UN Security Council session on Afghanistan.

"Afghanistan is waiting for presidential elections sheduled for September," Safronkov said. "We proceed from the assumption that the election will become a powerful consolidating factor for the Afghan society. The criteria of unification should be of primary importance in the efforts of achieving national reconciliation," he added.

The diplomat also welcomed initiatives on continuing dilaogue on Afghanistan that had been started in Moscow. "It is great that the intra-Afghan dialogue launched in Moscow on February 5-6 - that has for the first time brought to the negotiations table women, leading politicians and Taliban [designated as a terrorist organization and banned in Russia] representatives - continued in Doha on July 7-8," Safronkov said. "Both rounds of talks confirmed the sincere commitment of all Afghans to achieving peace," he concluded.