Russia decides to remove Taliban from terrorist list

MOSCOW: Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday that the decision to remove the Taliban from the list of terrorist organizations had been taken “at the highest level”, state news agency TASS reported.

Zamir Kabulov, President Vladimir Putin‘s special representative on Afghanistan, said that various legal procedures need to be followed to make this decision a reality.

Putin said in July that Russia considers Afghanistan’s Taliban movement an ally in the fight against terrorism.

Russia has been slowly building ties with the Taliban since seizing power in Afghanistan in August 2021 as US-led forces withdrew after a 20-year war, but the movement is still officially illegal in Russia. .

No country has officially recognized the Taliban as the country’s legal leadership, although China and the United Arab Emirates have accepted its ambassadors.

Russia added the Taliban to the list of terrorist organizations in 2003. His removal would be an important step for Moscow towards normalizing relations with Afghanistan.

In separate comments Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was convinced of the need to maintain “practical dialogue” with the current Afghan government.

“It is obvious that it is impossible to solve the problems or negotiate an Afghan settlement without Kabul,” Sergei Lavrov said.

Speaking at a meeting in Moscow with his Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi and representatives of neighboring countries, he added, “Moscow will continue its path to promote political, trade and economic ties with Kabul. ”

Although he did not mention the Taliban by name, he praised the current Afghan leadership for efforts to curb drug production and fight Islamic State, which is outlawed in Russia.

He said the US should return seized assets to Afghanistan and the West should accept responsibility for post-conflict reconstruction in the country.

Sergei Lavrov also called for an increase in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, saying Russia would continue to send it food and essential supplies.

Russia has a troubled history in Afghanistan, where Soviet troops invaded in 1979 to support the pro-Moscow government but withdrew 10 years later after suffering heavy casualties at the hands of Mujahideen fighters.

Russia and its post-Soviet neighbours have suffered recurrent attacks from Islamist militant groups linked to Afghanistan – most recently in March, when 145 people were killed in an attack claimed by Islamic State at a concert hall near Moscow.