Russia set to remove Taliban from terrorist list, says Putin’s envoy

Russia has made “a principle decision” to remove the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations, Putin’s envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kamulov said on Friday, according to Russian state media TASS.

Russia’s foreign ministry and security service “are putting finishing legal touches” on the removal, said Kamulov, adding that the final decision will “hopefully” be announced soon.

The Taliban was added to Russia’s blacklist in 2003 for backing separatists in the North Caucasus.

In separate comments on Friday during the annual diplomatic forum on Afghanistan in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called on Western countries to lift sanctions on the Taliban.

“We once again appeal to Western countries with an urgent call to acknowledge responsibility for the post-conflict reconstruction of Afghanistan, lift sanctions restrictions, and return Kabul’s appropriated assets,” he said during the opening remarks of the meeting, where Taliban’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi had also been present.

Lavrov also praised the current Afghan leadership for its fight against drugs and the Islamic State, while not expressly mentioning the Taliban.

Russia has slowly been normalizing relations with the Taliban after it seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 following the withdrawal of the U.S. forces after 20 years of war. Since then, the Taliban has imposed harsh restrictive laws on women in particular, including banning them from speaking in public.

In July, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Taliban “a trusted ally,” adding that the movement could help Russia’s fight against the Islamic State amid a rise in terrorist attacks in Russia. Islamic militants claimed responsibility for a deadly massacre in a concert hall in Moscow that took place in March and killed 144 people.

No international government has recognized the Taliban administration, but China and United Arab Emirates have accepted its ambassadors in their capitals.