Russia Moves to Normalize Relations with Taliban, Removing Them from Terror List

MOSCOW, Oct 04 (Alliance News): Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced Friday that a decision to remove the Afghan Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations has been made “at the highest level,” according to the state TASS news agency.

The move signals a significant step towards normalizing relations between Moscow and the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan.

President Vladimir Putin’s special representative on Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, confirmed that the decision will be followed by necessary legal procedures to formalize it.

This comes after Putin referred to the Taliban as an ally in the fight against terrorism in July.

Russia has gradually built ties with the Taliban since their takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, following the withdrawal of US-led forces. However, the Taliban remains outlawed in Russia, with no formal recognition of their government by any country. Nevertheless, China and the UAE have accepted Taliban-appointed ambassadors.

The Taliban was added to Russia’s list of terrorist organizations in 2003. Removing them from this list would be a major step toward strengthening diplomatic and trade relations between the two nations.

Taliban’s acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, praised Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan for removing the Taliban from their list of banned groups and expressed hope for further progress from Russia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov emphasized the importance of pragmatic dialogue with Afghanistan’s current leadership during a meeting in Moscow with Muttaqi and representatives from neighboring countries.

Lavrov acknowledged the Taliban’s efforts to combat drug production and the threat of Daesh in the region, while also calling for increased humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.

Despite a troubled history in Afghanistan, dating back to the Soviet invasion in 1979, Russia remains committed to developing political, trade, and economic ties with Kabul.

Lavrov also urged the West to return confiscated Afghan assets and take responsibility for the country’s post-conflict reconstruction.