Russia has accepted Afghanistans position as a new ambassador in an effort to build friendly relations with the Taliban regime, which took power when the US withdrew from Afghanistan four years ago.
"We believe that the official recognition of the chikmatic power of the Islamic State of Afghanistan will promote the effective development of bilateral cooperation between the two countries in many fields" - the Russian Foreign Ministry announced on July 3.
The move makes Russia the first country in the world to recognize Afghanistan's Taliban administration.
"This brave decision will be an example for other countries. Currently, when the recognition process begins, Russia is ahead of all parties," said Afghanistan Foreign Affairs chief Amir Khan Muttaqi at a meeting with Russian Ambassador to Kabul Dmitry Zhirnov.
The Taliban took power in Afghanistan in August 2021, when US government-supported forces internationally recognized by Afghanistan withdrew.
The US has frozen billions of dollars in assets of the central bank of Afghanistan and imposed sanctions on a number of senior leaders of the Taliban, causing the Afghanistan banking industry to be basically cut off from the international financial system.
Russia has taken steps to normalize relations with the Taliban government since the US withdrew from Afghanistan, considering the country a potential economic partner and ally in the fight against terrorism.
A Taliban delegation attended Russia's top economic forum in Saint Petersburg in 2022 and 2024, and the top Taliban diplomat met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow last October.
In July 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Taliban an "ally in the fight against terrorism".
In April this year, the Russian Supreme Court lifted the terrorist list for the Taliban group. Russia added the Taliban to the terrorist list in 2003 for supporting the breakaway forces in the North Caucasus.
Russia is the first country to open a business representative office in Kabul after the Taliban took over and has announced plans to use Afghanistan as a gas transit hub to Southeast Asia.
The Afghanistan government has not been officially recognized by any world organization and the United Nations calls the Taliban forces a degreat government in Afghanistan.
