Russia becomes first state to recognise Afghanistan's Taliban government

 Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with Russia's ambassador on Thursday

 Russia has become the first country to formally recognise Taliban rule, with Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi calling it a "courageous" decision.

 He met Russia's ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, in Kabul on Thursday, where Mr Zhirnov officially conveyed his government's decision to recognise the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

 Muttaqi said it was "a new phase of positive relations, mutual respect, and constructive engagement", and that the shift would serve as "an example" to other countries.

 The Taliban have sought international recognition and investment since they returned to power in August 2021, despite reports of increasing violations on human rights.

 "We believe that the act of official recognition of the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will give impetus to the development of productive bilateral cooperation between our countries," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement.

 It stated that Russia saw the potential for "commercial and economic" cooperation in "energy, transportation, agriculture, and infrastructure" and would continue to assist Kabul in combating terrorism and drug trafficking. Reuters A battered green police vehicle is driving down a tree-lined street, with five men hanging off the sides waving white flags with Arabic text on them.  The men are cheering and wearing elements of military dress, and two of them have large guns strapped to their chests.  Reuters

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 Russia was one of very few countries that did not close down their embassy in Afghanistan in 2021, and said on Telegram that "expanding the dialogue with Kabul" was critical in terms of regional security and economic development.

 The country was also the first to sign an international economic deal with the Taliban in 2022, where they agreed to supply oil, gas and wheat to Afghanistan.

 According to the Russian foreign ministry, the Taliban were removed from Russia's list of terrorist organizations in April of this year in order to open the door to a "full-fledged partnership" with Kabul. Russian President Vladimir Putin also referred to the Taliban as an "ally" in fighting terrorism in July last year, with representatives travelling to Moscow for talks as early as 2018.

 After the Soviet Union invaded the country in 1979 and fought a nine-year war that cost them 15,000 personnel, the two countries have a complicated history. The decision to install a USSR-backed government in Kabul turned the Soviets into an international pariah, and they eventually withdrew from Afghanistan in February 1989.