Moscow [Russia], July 4: The Afghan government said on July 3 that Russia had become the first country in the world to officially recognize the Taliban as the legitimate rulers of the West Asian country.
The news of Russia's recognition of the Taliban government was announced after Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov in Kabul on July 3.
"Russia is the first country to officially recognize the Islamic Emirate," AFP quoted Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Zia Ahmad Takal as saying today, July 4.
The Afghan Foreign Ministry also posted on its X account (formerly Twitter name) that Foreign Minister Muttaqi called this "a new phase in a positive relationship, mutual respect and constructive cooperation".
"We believe that the act of officially recognizing the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will promote the development of effective bilateral cooperation in a number of areas," the Russian Foreign Ministry added on Telegram.
The Russian Foreign Ministry's announcement highlighted the potential for trade and economic cooperation in the fields of "energy, transport, culture and infrastructure".
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow hoped to continue supporting Kabul "in strengthening regional security and combating threats from terrorism and drug trafficking".
According to TASS, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko received credentials from Gul Hassan, the new Afghan Ambassador to Russia. He arrived in Moscow on July 1.
Previously, Russia recently made moves towards normalizing relations with the Taliban government, including removing the Taliban from the list of terrorist organizations in April.
In July 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Taliban an ally in the fight against terrorism.
Previously, Russia was the first country to open a trade representative office in Kabul after the Taliban took power in 2021, and announced plans to turn Afghanistan into a gas transit hub to Southeast Asia.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
