Newcastle (UK). Officials have indicated that Russia is currently considering removing the Taliban from the list of terrorist organizations. Although no final decision has been taken yet in this regard, one sign of their growing cordial relations is the Taliban’s invitation to an international economic forum to be held in the Russian city of Kazan in May. The Kremlin, the Russian presidential office, has previously initiated discussions with the Taliban, and Russia was one of the few countries to accredit a diplomat when the organization took control of Afghanistan.
Western sanctions on Russia over the political and economic crisis in Afghanistan and the Ukraine war mean both sides have something to gain from a stronger relationship. In the year 1999, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1267. A few months later, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree implementing the UN resolution and imposing sanctions against the Taliban.
Russia’s Supreme Court declared the Taliban a terrorist organization in 2003, saying it maintained ties with illegal armed forces in Chechnya and tried to seize power in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Russia launched a regional initiative in 2017 for talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban in an effort to position itself as a peace broker. The objective of these talks was to find a solution to the Afghanistan crisis.
Since the capture of Afghanistan, no country has recognized the Taliban government. The Taliban wants international sanctions to be withdrawn and seized assets to be freed to help in the economic development of the country.
If international sanctions are withdrawn, Afghanistan should benefit economically from the development of the important Lapis-Lazuli trade corridor that connects Afghanistan to Istanbul and Europe and the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway line. Russia’s removal of Taliban from its terrorism list would be the first step towards international recognition for the current Afghan government.
Russia also benefits from cooperation with the Taliban. Its goal is to present itself as a security provider for the region. There are also concerns about the stability of the region, drug trafficking and the threats of Islamic terrorism, particularly following the recent ISIS-K attack on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall.
Russia can use the alliances already formed to increase its geo-economic and geopolitical presence in the region. The growing cooperation between the Taliban and Russia has implications in the context of the ongoing rivalry between Russia and the West. Since the beginning of the Ukraine war, Russia has attempted to explain to other countries its strategic view on why the war is happening.
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Tag: Afghanistan, Russia, Taliban, Vladimir Putin
first published : April 21, 2024, 5:12 pm IST
