“However, some procedures have not yet been finalized,” explained Zamir Kabulov, Russian envoy to Afghanistan. “We hope the news will be made official soon.”
The Taliban were placed on Russia’s list of terrorist organizations in 2003, but since their return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, Russia has strengthened its ties with the movement. Russian President Vladimir Putin said last summer that Russia considered the Afghan Taliban as allies in the fight against terrorism. No country currently officially recognizes the Taliban as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan.
According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Moscow is convinced of the need for a “pragmatic dialogue” with the current Afghan government. “It is clear that it is impossible to resolve the problems or discuss the situation in Afghanistan without Kabul,” he said during a consultation with his Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi. The latter and other representatives from the Middle East and Central Asia are in Moscow for a summit on Afghanistan.
