Moscow, Russia:
Russia said Wednesday that Afghan Taliban authorities could have an ambassador in Moscow.
Moscow has taken steps to normalize relations with the Muslim Taliban regime since the group seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 after the withdrawal of US troops.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Russian officials had held talks with foreign and cabinet in Afghanistan.
“A representative of the Afghan leadership said in a statement following the Russian Supreme Court’s decision to suspend the ban on the Taliban movement, Russia has decided to upgrade Afghan diplomatic envoys in Moscow to the level of ambassadors,” he said.
The Afghan side added, “We have expressed our deep gratitude for this step.”
Russia sees potential economic partners in Taliban authorities who praised Moscow for abolishing the “terrorism” label last week.
Taliban officials have been visiting Russia for a high-profile event in recent years.
Russia’s decision to suspend the group’s ban is not comparable to formal perceptions for Taliban authorities seeking international legitimacy.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that “the new authorities in Kabul are real.”
“This needs to be considered in order to implement something practical rather than ideologically oriented,” the minister told journalists.
The Afghan government is not officially recognized by any country or global organization, and the UN calls its regime “Taliban de facto authorities.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published by Syndicate Feed.)
