Moscow agrees to accept diplomat from Kabul

KABUL (Pajhwok): Russia has agreed to accept a diplomat from the Islamic Emirate Afghanistan (IEA) at the ambassadorial level. The caretaker government in Kabul plans to officially appoint a diplomat to Moscow in near future. Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Maulvi Amir Khan Muttaqi met Russia’s special representative for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov here today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said.

A statement from the ministry said both sides discussed strengthening bilateral ties, expanding economic and trade relations, and addressing various regional matters. Muttaqi appreciated Russian move to remove the “Taliban Movement”—a term previously used to refer to the Islamic Emirate—from the list of banned organizations in the country. “Minister Muttaqi thanked the Russian Federation for agreeing to accept a diplomat from the IEA at the ambassadorial level and pledged that the government will soon introduce a new ambassador to serve in Moscow,” the statement said.



Muttaqi reiterated that this diplomatic recognition reflects a positive step toward enhancing bilateral cooperation. For his part, Special Envoy Zamir Kabulov said Moscow valued the development of ties with Afghanistan and was taking practical steps to eliminate obstacles for further engagement. He also announced that a special meeting would be held on the sidelines of the upcoming Kazan Forum next month to initiate the work of the Russia-Afghanistan Joint Permanent Commission.

The Foreign Ministry emphasised that both sides view the enhancement of diplomatic relations as a new phase in Afghanistan-Russia ties. Notably, the Russian Supreme Court last week officially removed the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan— previously referred to as the “Taliban Movement”—from its list of prohibited organizations. kk/ma.