Overview

• On July 3, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko accepted credentials of Gul Hassan Hassan as Afghanistan’s ambassador and hoisted the Taliban’s white flag at the Moscow embassy.
• The move makes Russia the first country to formally recognise the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate since it seized power in August 2021.
• In April, Russia’s Supreme Court lifted the Taliban’s terrorist designation, a legal step that cleared the way for full diplomatic recognition.
• Moscow said the official recognition will boost cooperation on security and counter-terrorism, enhance drug-interdiction efforts and support trade, energy and infrastructure projects.
• Most Western governments have withheld formal recognition and linked further engagement to improvements in human rights, particularly women’s access to education and public life.