Russia becomes first country to recognise Taliban government of Afghanan | World News

Russia said on Thursday it had accepted the credentials of a new ambassador of Afghanan, making it the first nation to recognise the Taliban government of the country.
In a statement, the Russian Foreign Minry said Moscow saw good prospects to develop ties and would continue to support Kabul in security, counter-terrorism and combating drug crime. It also saw significant trade and economic opportunities, especially in energy, transport, agriculture and infrastructure.
“We believe that the act of official recognition of the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanan will give impetus to the development of productive bilateral cooperation between our countries in various fields,” the minry said.
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Afghan Foreign Miner Amir Khan Muttaqi said in a statement: “We value this courageous step taken Russia, and, God willing, it will serve as an example for others as well.”
No other country has formally recognised the Taliban government that seized power in August 2021 as US-led forces staged a chaotic withdrawal from Afghanan after 20 years of war. However, China, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekan and Pakan have all designated ambassadors to Kabul, in a step towards recognition.
The Russian move represents a major milestone for the Taliban adminration as it seeks to ease its international isolation. It is likely to be closely watched Washington, which has frozen billions in Afghanan’s central bank assets and enforced sanctions on some senior leaders in the Taliban that contributed to Afghanan’s banking sector being largely cut off from the international financial system.
Russia has been gradually building relations with the Taliban, which President Vladimir Putin said last year was now an ally in fighting terrorism. Since 2022, Afghanan has imported gas, oil and wheat from Russia.Story continues below this ad
The Taliban was outlawed Russia as a terror movement in 2003, but the ban was lifted in April this year. Russia sees a need to work with Kabul as it faces a major security threat from Islam militant groups based in a string of countries from Afghanan to the Middle East.
In March 2024, gunmen killed 149 people at a concert hall outside Moscow in an attack claimed Islamic State. US officials said they had intelligence indicating it was the Afghan branch of the group, Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K), that was responsible. The Taliban says it is working to wipe out the presence of Islamic State in Afghanan.
Western diplomats say the Taliban’s path towards wider international recognition is blocked until it changes course on women’s rights. The Taliban has closed high schools and universities to girls and women and placed restrictions on their movement without a male guardian. It says it respects women’s rights in line with its strict interpretation of Islamic law.
Russia has a complex and bloodstained hory in Afghanan. Soviet troops invaded the country in December 1979 to prop up a Commun government, but became bogged down in a long war against mujahideen fighters armed the United States. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev pulled his army out in 1989, which time some 15,000 Soviet soldiers had been killed.