London [UK], October 25 (ANI): Ahead of the COP26 Summit, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a telephonic conversation with Russian President Putin on Monday and discussed the current situation in Afghanistan and issues regarding the Taliban's "behaviour" in the country.

"The leaders also discussed the current situation in Afghanistan. The Prime Minister stressed the importance of any recognition of the Taliban being conditional on their behaviour, including respect for human rights," Downing Street said in a statement.

Johnson welcomed the steps Russia has taken in recent days to commit net-zero by 2060. "The Prime Minister (Boris Johnson) expressed his hope that Russia will raise that target to achieving net zero by 2050 as well as making further progress on ending deforestation and an ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution."President Putin expressed his regret that he would not be able to attend the COP26 Summit in person in light of the coronavirus situation in Russia.

According to Downing Street, Boris Johnson was clear that the UK's current relationship with Russia is not the one they want. He added that significant bilateral difficulties remain, including the poisonings in Salisbury in 2018. "The Prime Minister (Boris Johnson) also underscored the importance of Ukrainian sovereignty," the statement added.

UK PM said that as fellow permanent members of the UN Security Council and major world economies with a long, shared history, the UK and Russia have a responsibility to work together to tackle shared challenges like climate change and safeguard international agreements like the Iran Nuclear Deal. (ANI)