Afghanistan: Russia sets to remove Taliban from terrorist organization list, paves way for normalization of ties
Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that a decision to remove the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations has been made at the highest level, according to the state TASS news agency.
However, President Vladimir Putin’s special representative on Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, noted that this decision requires further legal procedures to be implemented.
Putin previously stated in July that Russia considers the Taliban an ally in combating terrorism. Since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021, Russia has been gradually establishing ties with the group, despite its official outlaw status in Russia.
No country has formally recognized the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate leadership, although China and the UAE have accepted its ambassadors. Russia initially added the Taliban to its list of terrorist organizations in 2003. Removing it would signify a significant step towards normalizing relations with Afghanistan.
The Taliban’s acting Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, expressed appreciation for Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan’s decision to remove the group from their banned lists. He also acknowledged positive remarks from Russian officials and hoped for more substantial actions soon.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov highlighted the necessity of maintaining “pragmatic dialogue” with the current Afghan government. Lavrov praised the Taliban’s efforts to combat Daesh and curb drug production, without directly mentioning the group.
Lavrov called for increased humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and urged the United States to return confiscated assets. He also stressed Russia’s commitment to sending food and essential goods to Afghanistan.
Russia’s complex history in Afghanistan, marked by the Soviet invasion in 1979 and subsequent withdrawal, has led to recurring attacks from militant groups linked to Afghanistan. The most recent incident occurred in March, with 145 people killed in a Daesh-claimed attack near Moscow.
