MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday that a Taliban resistance is forming in Afghanistan鈥檚 Panjshir Valley led by vice president Amrullah Saleh and Ahmad Massoud, the son of a famed anti-Taliban fighter.

鈥淭he Taliban doesn鈥檛 control the whole territory of Afghanistan,鈥� Lavrov told reporters at a press conference in Moscow following a meeting with his Libyan counterpart.

鈥淭here are reports of the situation in the Panjshir Valley where the resistance of Afghanistan鈥檚 vice president Mr.Saleh and Ahmad Massoud is concentrated,鈥� he said.

Lavrov also reiterated his call for an inclusive dialogue involving all political players in Afghanistan for the formation of a 鈥渞epresentative government.鈥�

The Panjshir Valley northeast of Kabul is Afghanistan鈥檚 last remaining holdout, known for its natural defenses.

According to images shared on social media, Saleh and Massoud, the son of anti-Taliban fighter Ahmed Shah Massoud, are pulling together a guerrilla movement to take on the Taliban.

Moscow has been cautiously optimistic about the new leadership in Kabul and is seeking contact with the militants in an effort to avoid instability spilling over to neighboring ex-Soviet states.

While the United States and other countries rushed to evacuate their citizens from Kabul, Russia said its embassy will continue to work.

Earlier this week, Russia鈥檚 ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov met with the Taliban in Kabul, hailing on state television a 鈥減ositive and constructive鈥� meeting.

The Kremlin has in recent years reached out to the Taliban 鈥� which is banned as an 鈥渆xtremist鈥� group in Russia 鈥� and hosted its representatives in Moscow several times, most recently last month.