Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s acting Foreign Minister, has announced that the group will soon appoint an ambassador to Moscow, marking a new stage in diplomatic engagement between the Taliban and Russia.
The statement came during a meeting with Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan. Zia Ahmad Takal, Deputy Spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed that Russia is expected to receive the Taliban’s diplomatic representative at the ambassadorial level.
On Wednesday, Takal announced that Muttaqi and Kabulov discussed enhancing bilateral relations, regional cooperation, and economic partnerships. Muttaqi expressed gratitude to Kabulov for Russia’s recent decision to remove the Taliban from its list of terrorist organisations.
Takal noted that Kabulov emphasised Russia's commitment to strengthening ties and outlined efforts to eliminate barriers to further engagement. Kabulov also confirmed that a permanent joint commission on bilateral relations will convene during a planned meeting between Russian and Taliban officials this May in Kazan, alongside the “Kazan Forum.”
Russia’s Supreme Court recently approved a request by the Attorney General to suspend the Taliban’s designation as a terrorist organisation, clearing a path for expanded political and economic cooperation. However, the Russian Foreign Ministry clarified that Moscow still adheres to UN Security Council sanctions on Taliban officials.
Although no country has formally recognised the Taliban government, Russia had previously accepted a Taliban representative at the chargé d’affaires level.
