Russia recognizes Taliban government in Afghanistan
Moscow seeks “to build a full-fledged partnership,” according to its ambassador in Kabul
Moscow has officially recognized the Taliban in Afghanistan, becoming the first major power to establish formal diplomatic ties with the Islamist government.
The Russian Supreme Court removed the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations in April, effectively legalizing its activities for the first time since the designation in 2003. The Islamist movement returned to power in August 2021 following a chaotic withdrawal by US and NATO forces, and renamed the country the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
On Thursday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko formally accepted the credentials of Afghanistan’s newly appointed ambassador to Moscow, Ghulam Hassan, a step seen as establishing diplomatic ties.
Asked by RIA Novosti whether recognition had been granted, Russian presidential envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov replied in the affirmative.
According to media reports, the black-and-white Taliban flag was raised over the Afghan embassy in Moscow – the first flag to fly there since 2021. The Taliban banned the country’s previous black, red and green tricolor after retaking power.
Russia’s ambassador to Kabul, Dmitry Zhirnov, told Rossiya 1 channel on Thursday that the decision to recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was made by President Vladimir Putin on the recommendation of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Zhirnov said Russia has also been the first to recognize Afghanistan’s independence over a century ago. These steps, he added, show Moscow’s “genuine desire to build a full-fledged partnership with Afghanistan” and reflect a friendly stance toward the Afghan people.
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Although the Taliban government has not been officially recognized by most of the international community, several Central Asian states have recently renewed ties with Kabul. Kazakhstan removed the group from its terrorist list in June 2024, followed by Kyrgyzstan in September. Turkmenistan has resumed cooperation through the TAPI gas pipeline project, and Uzbekistan signed several joint agreements with Kabul in August 2024.
Afghanistan’s ambassador to Qatar, Suhail Shaheen, told RIA Novosti that Russia’s decision had created “opportunities for joint work” – and urged other countries to follow Moscow’s example.