In a significant diplomatic development, Russia has officially recognized the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan, becoming the first major world power to establish formal ties with the Islamist regime. This marks a shift in international engagement with Afghanistan since the Taliban took control in August 2021.
The recognition follows a Russian Supreme Court decision in April to remove the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations, a label that had stood since 2003. On Thursday, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko formally accepted the credentials of Afghanistan’s new ambassador to Moscow, Ghulam Hassan, cementing the new diplomatic relationship.
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The Taliban flag was raised over the Afghan embassy in Moscow for the first time since their return to power. Russian officials, including envoy Zamir Kabulov and Ambassador Dmitry Zhirnov, confirmed that the move was approved by President Vladimir Putin on the recommendation of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, emphasizing Moscow’s interest in developing strong ties with the Afghan people.
While most of the world has yet to recognize the Taliban government, regional countries have begun to engage. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan recently removed the group from their terrorist lists, and projects like the TAPI gas pipeline are back on track with cooperation from Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Afghan ambassador to Qatar, Suhail Shaheen, welcomed Russia’s decision, calling it a chance for constructive cooperation and encouraging other nations to follow suit.
