Afghanistan Peace CampaignAccording to Lavrov, the UN Security Council has not declared the Taliban a terrorist group, and only 12 to 15 of their members are included in the list.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in an interview with Russian media, said that the “Taliban hold real power” in Afghanistan and that Moscow plans to remove them from the list of terrorist groups.
According to Lavrov, the United Nations Security Council has not declared the Taliban a terrorist group, and only 12 to 15 of their members are included in the list.
“The Taliban are the ones holding real power [in Afghanistan]. Just as the People’s Republic of China, we have never closed down our embassy there. The Afghan Ambassador presented his credentials to Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing along with other ambassadors. Kazakhstan has recently decided to remove them from the list of terrorist organizations. We are going to do this, too. The UN Security Council did not declare the Taliban a terrorist organization. There are twelve to fifteen specific persons on the list. But the main point is that they are the real power,” Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov said as quoted in the report.
He continued: “We, like our allies in Central Asia, care about Afghanistan. This process reflects accepting reality.”
In response, the Islamic Emirate lauded Moscow’s move and reiterated its commitment to fostering good relations with countries worldwide.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, told TOLOnews: “We commend Russia’s action and hope it is implemented as soon as possible. Afghanistan wants to have good relations with all countries, including Russia.”
“The Islamic Emirate has had good relations with the Russian Federation, and the embassies in both countries have remained open. Islamic Emirate delegations, like those of other countries, have been invited to various meetings and international forums in the Russian Federation,” said Abdullah Yaser, the counselor to the Islamic Emirate’s embassy in Moscow.
According to some political analysts, removing the names of Islamic Emirate officials from the blacklist is vital for the recognition of the interim government.
“With this action by Russia, the diplomatic and international standing of the Islamic Emirate will be strengthened, leading to its recognition,” said Moeen Gul Samkani, a political analyst.
“This closeness to the world, especially with major powers, will open closed doors for Afghanistan,” said Abdulhaq Hamad, another political analyst.
This comes as the names of 24 Islamic Emirate officials are still on the blacklist of the United Nations and the European Union.
On the other hand, Russia’s special presidential representative for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, told TASS news agency that Moscow has invited Islamic Emirate officials to participate in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.