Russia is recently urging the removal of the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations.
As per multiple outlets, Russia's Foreign Ministry and Justice Ministry have advised President Vladimir Putin to consider removing the Taliban from Russia's list of terrorist organizations, according to Zamir Kabulov, a senior official at the Russian Foreign Ministry.
This move is seen as a step towards recognizing the Taliban government, which took control of Afghanistan in 2021.
Meanwhile, Kabulov mentioned that without first delisting the Taliban, any discussions about recognizing their government would be "premature."
He noted that there are still some issues to address before a final decision can be made, but he did not specify what these issues are.
While, lawyer Dmitry Agranovsky explained that only Russia's Supreme Court has the authority to remove the Taliban from the list.
Moreover, the court originally designated the Taliban as a terrorist organization in 2003.
Russia has had limited interactions with the Taliban over the years, primarily for specific security concerns or peace negotiations.
Since the Taliban's return to power, their representatives have visited Moscow several times.
In October 2021, following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, President Putin indicated that Russia might delist the Taliban but stressed the importance of the U.N. Security Council's stance on the matter.
The Foreign Ministry has since been working on this issue, with the final decision resting with Russia's top leadership.
