Why did Russia become the first major power in the world to officially recognize the Taliban?
The Russian president's special envoy to Afghanistan said the move was aimed at formalizing growing economic ties and moving towards comprehensive political cooperation, amid changes in the Taliban.
On July 4, Russian President's Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, spoke to RT TV channel, explaining why Moscow officially recognized the Taliban-led government. According to him, this move is aimed at formalizing the growing cooperation between the two countries and moving towards full-scale political interaction.
This week, Moscow became the first major world power to establish formal diplomatic relations with the Islamic government in Kabul, after a new Afghan ambassador presented his credentials in the Russian capital.
Maintaining close partnership has become important after it became clear that the current government in Kabul is “doing its best to tackle” terrorism and drug trafficking, Mr Kabulov said.
He noted that economic cooperation with Afghanistan had already begun, but in order to make it “legally complete,” Moscow needed to recognize this government in practice. “Now is the time for our political interaction on official terms and conditions,” he said.
Mr. Kabulov, who served as Russia’s ambassador to Kabul, said the Taliban had undergone a transformation since first coming to power in the 1990s, when it advocated global jihad. “This time, the Taliban came to power as a national movement,” and is focusing all its efforts on domestic interests, he said.
The Taliban returned to power in August 2021 after a chaotic withdrawal of US and NATO forces. They renamed the country the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. In April this year, the Russian Supreme Court removed the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations. On July 3, Mr. Kabulov confirmed to the media that Moscow now officially recognized the Taliban government.
Kabulov also noted that Taliban representatives have attended economic forums in Russia, as the two sides seek cooperation in investment and natural resource development. Afghanistan's geographical location offers potential as a "key economic and logistics hub for the vast Eurasian continent," Kabulov said.
Although the Taliban government remains unrecognized by most of the international community, some regional powers have resumed contact. Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi welcomed Moscow's move, writing on social media X that "Russia has gone before everyone."
