Afghanistan territory will not be used against Russia, central Asian countries: Taliban

A member of the delegation from the Russian Foundation for Islamic Culture, Sciences and Education who visited Afghanistan on Sunday told Sputnik that a senior Taliban official had provided assurances that the Taliban movement will prevent Afghan territory from being utilised against Russia. This affirmation was conveyed to Moscow by the delegation by Magomedbashir Albogachiev who was part of the delegation that reportedly met with officials from the Taliban government in Kabul. 

"On Sunday, our delegation in Kabul held a meeting with Maulavi Abdul Kabir, Afghanistan's deputy prime minister for political affairs. He asked us to tell the Russian leadership that the Taliban movement will not let use its territory against Russia or the countries of Central Asia," Albogachiev said.

Albogachiev stated that as per the Taliban deputy prime minister, Afghanistan has a keen interest in establishing comprehensive trade and economic connections with Russia. However, the absence of a defined logistical route is making this issue complex.

Sustaining ties with Taliban-Afghanistan important: Russia

During the fourth meeting of the foreign ministers of Afghanistan's neighbouring countries held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov participated in the discussions about the state of affairs in Afghanistan and strategies to create a unified regional approach to enhance it. Following the meeting, Lavrov stated during a press conference that almost all of the participating nations concurred on the importance of sustaining and advancing connections with the Taliban movement.

Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the political assistant to the Taliban head of government, held the meeting with a delegation of religious scholars headed by the international head of mosques of Russia. During the meeting, the delegation expressed that peace and stability in Afghanistan, along with sound governance, would lead to the recognition of the Islamic Emirate.

Mawlawi expressed his hope that the visit of the religious scholars' delegation would foster stronger ties between the two nations. He also urged Russia, along with other partner countries, to acknowledge the Islamic Emirate governed by Taliban.

In October 2021, Russia had said that it might recognise the Taliban government, which is outlawed by Moscow, in Afghanistan if its condition of its inclusivity and observance of human rights are met. 

"The Taliban have come to power, they are controlling the entire country and it is necessary to hold a dialogue with them, it is necessary to meet with them...Undoubtedly, contacts are also needed in order to convince the Taliban to create a truly inclusive government which would not only include the representatives of those tribes and ethnicities, peoples residing on Afghanistan’s territory, but also all political forces," she told journalists adding that only such a construction would be stable and ensure the peaceful evolution of Afghanistan as a state," Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko had said at the time.