The Taliban’s Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, has emphasised the importance of maintaining regular exchanges between Moscow officials and Taliban representatives during a meeting with Russia’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov.
The meeting focused on enhancing bilateral cooperation, particularly in economic and trade relations.
Zia Ahmad Takal, Deputy Spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reported on Sunday, 24 November, that Muttaqi expressed appreciation for Russia’s continued engagement. He noted that over the past year, Russia has invited several Taliban officials to participate in official meetings in Moscow, describing these exchanges as vital to fostering stronger ties.
During the meeting, Kabulov assured Muttaqi that a high-level Russian delegation would soon visit Kabul to explore opportunities for expanding cooperation between the two sides.
This announcement comes amidst cautious remarks from Andrey Rudenko, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, who recently stated that it remains too early to formally recognise the Taliban government. However, Rudenko suggested that removing the Taliban from Russia’s list of terrorist organisations could pave the way for collaboration in various sectors, especially economic development.
Russia has consistently worked to maintain diplomatic channels with the Taliban since their takeover of Afghanistan. While Moscow, like the rest of the international community, has not officially recognised the Taliban regime, it has accepted a Taliban representative at the level of chargé d’affaires.
Earlier this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the broader question of engagement with the Taliban, stating, “How to engage with the Taliban is another question, but some form of relationship with them is necessary.”
