Russia officially recognises Taliban government, first country to do so

Russia has officially recognised the Taliban government in Afghanistan. On Thursday, the Russian government accepted the new Afghan ambassador, Gul Hassan Hassan, who was appointed by the Taliban. With this move, Russia became the first country to officially recognise the Taliban-led government since it took over in 2021.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, "We believe that the act of official recognition of the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will give impetus to the development of productive bilateral cooperation between our countries in various fields."

The recognition comes after a special event in Moscow where Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Andrey Rudenko, met with Hassan and accepted his credentials. Photos shared by the Russian news agency TASS showed that the Taliban's white flag was raised at the Afghan embassy in Moscow, replacing the former government's flag.

TALIBAN WELCOMES RECOGNITION

Taliban officials in Kabul appreciated Russia’s move and said it would help strengthen ties. Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s acting foreign minister, said, "This is a major milestone in the history of our relations."

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