Moscow Invites Taliban To St Petersburg International Economic Forum
Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, has said that Moscow has invited the Taliban to participate in the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.
Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, has said that Moscow has invited the Taliban to participate in the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.
Kabulov stated that an invitation to the meeting has been sent to the Taliban. According to him, the Taliban are interested in buying oil and other goods from Russia.
In response to a question from the TASS news agency about what Russia will discuss with Taliban representatives at the meeting, the Russian diplomat said there are many promising areas for cooperation.
In another report, TASS quoted Zamir Kabulov as saying that Russia's Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs have informed Vladmir Putin that the Taliban can be removed from the list of banned organisations.
The Russian special envoy for Afghanistan, who has always sought to expand Russia's relations with the Taliban, previously stated that "the Taliban are no longer enemies of Russia”.
In the past nearly three years, Kabulov has played an important role in facilitating relations between Russia and the Taliban. He previously stated that the Taliban trust Russia as the successor to the former Soviet Union.
Zamir Kabulov, Russia's Special Envoy for Afghanistan said that the proposal to remove the Taliban from Russia's list of banned organisations has been submitted to Vladimir Putin, the president of the country for a final decision.
Kabulov stated that there are still some issues regarding the Taliban that need to be resolved before a decision can be made.
In a report published by TASS news agency on Monday, Russia's special envoy for Afghanistan, told the media outlet that Russia's Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs have informed President Putin that the Taliban can be removed from the list of banned organisations.
Kabulov mentioned that the possibility of Russia recognising the Taliban government is now much higher than when the Taliban first took over the power.
Last week, he also told TASS that the Taliban are "no longer enemies of Russia”. He added that while the Taliban might not be Russia's number one friends, they are not enemies either.
Since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, Kabulov has consistently had an optimistic view of the group and has worked to strengthen the relationship between Russia and the Taliban.
In his interview with TASS last week, Kabulov said there are "certain political restrictions," but the relationship between Russia and the Taliban is "growing”.
In the past three years, Kabulov has played a significant role in facilitating relations between Russia and the Taliban. He previously stated that the Taliban trust Russia as the successor to the former Soviet Union.
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the leader of Hezb-e Islami party of Afghanistan, called the third Doha meeting a "repetition of the failed Bonn experience”.
Hekmatyar said that the goal of this meeting is to appoint another Lakhdar Brahimi and Benon Sevan to create consensus among the countries involved in Afghan affairs.
He claimed that the new UN special representative for Afghanistan will be someone approved by the United States.
Benon Sevan and Lakhdar Brahimi were special representatives of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan during the transition from the first Taliban government to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
These two prominent UN diplomats played significant roles in the Bonn Conference and the political developments in Afghanistan in 2001 and thereafter.
The Bonn Conference refers to more than a week of discussions in December 2001 between Afghan politicians and representatives from regional and global countries in Bonn, Germany. Participants of the Bonn Conference signed a two-phase agreement that laid the foundation for the creation of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban regime.
The Taliban and Hezb-e Islami, led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, did not play an influential role in the Bonn Conference.
The third Doha meeting, with the presence of special representatives of countries for Afghanistan, is scheduled for June 30 and July 1.
The United Nations has stated that the goal of this meeting is to increase international engagement with Afghanistan in a "coherent and structured" manner.
Taliban officials previously told Afghanistan International that the group has set six conditions for participating in the third Doha meeting.
According to these sources, one of the conditions is to grant Afghanistan's seat at the UN to the Taliban.
Taliban sources, who wished to remain anonymous, told Afghanistan International that the second condition is the UN withdrawing its special representative for Afghanistan.
The third condition is consulting the Taliban on the agenda and composition of the third Doha meeting.
A diplomatic source also told Afghanistan International that the Taliban strongly opposes the participation of representatives from Afghan civil society and political groups in the third Doha meeting.
According to sources within the Taliban, the group also informed the UN and Qatari delegations in Kabul that issues such as girls' education, women's employment, and the formation of an inclusive government should not be on the agenda for the third Doha meeting.
Sources informed Afghanistan International that Abdul Karim Hasib, the Taliban's General Director of Passports, has been detained since Thursday, by the order of Hibatullah Akhundzada.
Abdul Matin Qane, the Taliban's Ministry of Interior spokesperson, confirmed that Hasib was summoned to Kandahar in relation to the Nangarhar protests.
On Monday, Qane posted on the social media platform X that Hasib was called to Kandarhar to provide explanations concerning the protests in Nangarhar.
Local residents in the Barikab area of Nangarhar province protested over a land dispute with the Taliban, leading to the blockade of the Torkham-Jalalabad road. The Taliban's response escalated the situation into violence, resulting in at least three fatalities.
Qane also noted that in addition to Hasib, several officials from the Ministries of Interior and Defence were summoned to Kandahar regarding the protests.
According to Qane, the operations at the General Directorate of Passports are continuing normally in Hasib's absence, and there are no concerns within the department.
However, Afghanistan International sources claim there are deeper disagreements between the Taliban leadership and Abdul Karim Hasib after the Nangarhar protests, which led to his detention.
The sources suggested that financial disputes have arisen between Hasib and the Taliban leadership, who have accused him of corruption.
Keramuddin Keram, the former head of Afghanistan's Football Federation, found guilty of sexual assault by the previous government's prosecutor's office, has met the Taliban’s governor in Panjshir.
Previously accused of sexually assaulting girls in his office, he fled to Panjshir during the tenure of the former government.
Unable to be apprehended by the forces of the previous government, Keram has now resurfaced, openly praising the work of the Taliban governor. The meeting also included former Finance Minister Omar Zakhilwal.
Keram lauded the Taliban's victory as a "source of pride for the people”. The discussions between Keram and Zakhilwal focused on "ensuring security and comfort in Panjshir" and "supporting the stability" of the Taliban's rule.
As per Bakhtar News Agency, the duo asserted that Panjshir's residents are content with the Taliban's governance. During his meeting with Mohammad Agha Hakim, the Taliban’s governor of Panjshir, Zakhilwal refuted external criticisms of the regime, stating, "The allegations abroad against the Islamic Emirate vastly differ from reality."
Zakhilwal further commented, "With the establishment of the Islamic regime, a genuine atmosphere of comfort has emerged in Afghanistan, especially in Panjshir, unseen in past times."
Zakhilwal urged former high-ranking officials not to be misled by foreigners and to return to Afghanistan. During a previous interview with Afghanistan International, he had criticised the increase in corruption under the Taliban, labelling the government as "illegitimate and non-national”.
Keram, who also served as Panjshir's governor under the previous administration, praised the Taliban’s governance as a pride not only for Afghanistan, but for all Islamic governments.
He expressed commitment to "unceasingly support and bolster the foundations of the Islamic system [Taliban]”. The Taliban governor highlighted the presence of these former officials as proof of security provision in the country, especially Panjshir, noting, "We hold no enmity with anyone; the past is the past."
In 2019, Afghanistan's Attorney General convicted Keram and seven others of sexually abusing female football players and other charges like sexual assault and harassment, abuse of authority, and concealing crimes.
After the verdict, Keram escaped to Panjshir and failed to respond in court. Previously, some Panjshir residents accused him of facilitating the Taliban's entry into the region and the defeat of the resistance in September 2020.
Now, Keram asserts that he is living in Afghanistan without any issues, alongside his family and relatives.
The Pakistani Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, asserted on Sunday that the Pakistani Taliban are behind the killing of five Chinese engineers in Pakistan.
He urged the Afghan Taliban to hand over Pakistani Taliban leaders, including Noor Wali Mehsud, to maintain "amicable relations" with Islamabad.
On March 26, a suicide attack targeted a convoy of Chinese engineers in the Basham area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing six, including five Chinese nationals. The Pakistani Taliban has denied any role in this incident.
During a press conference in Lahore, Naqvi addressed the Taliban, "We call on the interim Taliban government to arrest and extradite leaders of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, including Noor Wali Mehsud, to preserve the friendly ties between our countries."
The Taliban have rejected Islamabad's requests for the expulsion and extradition of Pakistani Taliban leaders and members. Despite harbouring the TTP, the Taliban have also denied responsibility for the militant activities of the Pakistani Taliban in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, labelling it as Pakistan's internal issue.
Naqvi revealed that the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan orchestrated the attack on Chinese nationals in Basham, with the perpetrators now arrested. "We possess undeniable evidence on this matter," he claimed.
He warned that "terrorists are exploiting the vulnerabilities of the interim Afghan government [Taliban] and are creating security issues for Pakistan across the border”. Following these incidents, he noted that surveillance has been intensified along the borders of the two countries.
