Russia has officially recognised the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Thursday, raising hopes amid efforts by Kabul to rebuild the war torn country after decades of bloody Western occupation.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry also confirmed the development, saying Russian Ambassador Dmitry Zhirnov met IEA Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and conveyed the government’s decision that underscores “the importance of this decision.”
Zhirnov called it “a historic step towards strengthening relations between the two countries.”
The Afghanistan Foreign Ministry said: “With this step, bilateral relations between the two countries will further expand.”
Muttaqi expressed hope that it would lead to enhanced cooperation and “would also further strengthen cooperation between Afghanistan and Russia.”
Zhirnov told the state TV channel Rossiya-1 that the decision was made by President Vladimir Putin at the suggestion of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
“It demonstrates Russia’s sincere desire to establish a full-fledged partnership with Afghanistan,” he said.
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Russia has taken the lead as the first country to formally recognise the Taliban administration.
No UN member state had recognised the interim Taliban administration in Kabul since its return to power in August 2021. The war-torn country is facing an economic crisis, as the US has frozen $7 billion in Afghan foreign assets since withdrawing foreign troops almost four years ago.
Only a few nations, including China, have accepted an ambassador from the Taliban-led interim administration, while Beijing sent its envoy to Kabul in September 2023.
Earlier on Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it had recieved copies of the credentials of Afghanistan’s newly appointed ambassador, Gul Hassan Hassan.
“We believe that the act of official recognition of the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will give impetus to the development of productive bilateral cooperation between our countries in various fields,” it said.
The move comes shortly after Gul Hassan, an IEA diplomat, assumed the role of Kabul’s ambassador to Moscow.
Moscow has taken steps to normalise relations with Kabul, removing its designation of the Taliban as a “terrorist organisation” in April and inviting representatives to official events.
Russia was the first country to open a business representative office in Kabul after the Taliban takeover, and has announced plans to use Afghanistan as a transit hub for gas heading to south-east Asia.
In July 2024, Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, called the Emirate an “ally in the fight against terrorism.”
Only Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates recognised the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan during the Taliban’s first stint in power from 1996 to 2001.
This time, multiple other states, including China and Pakistan, have accepted IEA ambassadors in their capitals, but have not officially recognised the Islamic Emirate to date.
China welcomes the move
China on Friday welcomed Russia’s move to recognise the Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan, state-run media reported.
According to the Global Times, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a news conference that Beijing supports the international community in “strengthening engagement and dialogue with the Afghan interim government.”
Mao said Beijing also encourages the international community to “actively respond to international concerns, assist in Afghanistan’s reconstruction and development, support its fight against terrorist forces, and contribute positively to regional peace, stability, and prosperity.”
Beijing and Kabul have “maintained normal operations in each other’s territory, playing a positive role in promoting bilateral relations,” since the illegal Western occupation of Afghanistan came to an end, the spokesperson added.
China will continue to “pursue a friendly policy toward all Afghan people and support exchanges and cooperation across various fields between China and Afghanistan,” Mao said.
Following the 9/11 terror attack on New York, the U.S. led an invasion and occupation of the Muslim-majority country with heavy participation of the UK and NATO.
The occupation killed huge numbers of innocent Afghans and destroyed large parts of the country. The moment the U.S. began pulling out of Afghanistan the Western-installed regime collapsed and the Islamic Emirate was formed shortly afterwards.
