MOSCOW: In a landmark diplomatic shift, Russia has officially recognized the Taliban government in Afghanistan, becoming the first major global power to establish formal diplomatic relations with the Islamist regime.

The move follows the Russian Supreme Court’s decision in April to remove the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations, a designation that had been in place since 2003. The Taliban returned to power in August 2021 after the chaotic withdrawal of US and NATO forces and subsequently renamed the country the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

On Thursday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko formally accepted the credentials of Afghanistan’s newly appointed ambassador to Moscow, Ghulam Hassan, solidifying diplomatic ties. Russia’s presidential envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, confirmed the recognition.

Media reports indicate that the Taliban’s black-and-white flag was raised over the Afghan embassy in Moscow for the first time since the group’s takeover.

According to Russia’s ambassador to Kabul, Dmitry Zhirnov, President Vladimir Putin made the recognition decision based on the recommendation of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Zhirnov highlighted that Russia had also been the first to recognize Afghanistan’s independence over a century ago, underscoring Moscow’s commitment to building a “full-fledged partnership” with the Afghan people.

While most of the international community has yet to recognize the Taliban government, some regional countries have started re-engaging with Kabul. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan removed the Taliban from their terrorist lists earlier this year, Turkmenistan resumed cooperation through the TAPI gas pipeline project, and Uzbekistan signed several agreements with the Taliban in August.

Afghanistan’s ambassador to Qatar, Suhail Shaheen, welcomed Russia’s decision, calling it an “opportunity for joint work” and urging other nations to follow Moscow’s lead.