04:52Russian Presidential Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said that the legal process for removing the Taliban from his country's list of 'terrorist groups' was nearing completion and that the decision had already been taken at the highest level, speaking at a press conference following the sixth meeting of the Moscow Format consultations on Friday.
"A decision in principle on this issue has been taken by Russia's top leadership, but this whole process must be done within the Russian legal framework. It requires meticulous work by lawyers, parliament and other agencies to ensure that this process is completed in the manner established by law. This is the only question. We are obliged to comply with federal laws and I hope that the final decision will be announced very soon," Kabulov added.
Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, for his part, described the country as secure and urged other nations to invest in its energy, economy and transport.
"Our foreign guests who visit Afghanistan see very well the potential that our country has, especially in the field of transport, transit and logistics. First of all, I am referring to a number of transport corridors, especially the North-South transport corridor. We are also pleased with the high level of diplomatic relations we have with regional states," Muttaqi said.
Afghanistan's acting foreign minister also warned that there could be instances of individuals or groups associated with the Islamic State group attempting to enter the country from abroad.
"In our contacts with countries in the region, we are emphasising this in every possible way and calling for support so that groups such as ISIS, which pose a threat to Afghanistan, can be countered together," the diplomat said.
In May, the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Justice Ministry presented a report to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the possibility of removing the Taliban from the register of terrorist organisations. The group has been under UN sanctions since 1999.
In August 2021, the Taliban declared control over the entire territory of Afghanistan, following the US withdrawal. In March 2022, Russia accredited the first diplomat from the Taliban government.
Over a dozen other countries have 'de facto' diplomatic relations with the Taliban on some level without any nation formally recognising the government. They include China, which became the first to name an ambassador to Afghanistan in 2023, as well as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, and others in the region.
Russian agencies 'completing legal work' to remove Taliban from 'terrorist list' - Special Envoy to Afghanistan Kabulov
Russian Presidential Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said that the legal process for removing the Taliban from his country's list of 'terrorist groups' was nearing completion and that the decision had already been taken at the highest level, speaking at a press conference following the sixth meeting of the Moscow Format consultations on Friday.
"A decision in principle on this issue has been taken by Russia's top leadership, but this whole process must be done within the Russian legal framework. It requires meticulous work by lawyers, parliament and other agencies to ensure that this process is completed in the manner established by law. This is the only question. We are obliged to comply with federal laws and I hope that the final decision will be announced very soon," Kabulov added.
Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, for his part, described the country as secure and urged other nations to invest in its energy, economy and transport.
"Our foreign guests who visit Afghanistan see very well the potential that our country has, especially in the field of transport, transit and logistics. First of all, I am referring to a number of transport corridors, especially the North-South transport corridor. We are also pleased with the high level of diplomatic relations we have with regional states," Muttaqi said.
Afghanistan's acting foreign minister also warned that there could be instances of individuals or groups associated with the Islamic State group attempting to enter the country from abroad.
"In our contacts with countries in the region, we are emphasising this in every possible way and calling for support so that groups such as ISIS, which pose a threat to Afghanistan, can be countered together," the diplomat said.
In May, the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Justice Ministry presented a report to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the possibility of removing the Taliban from the register of terrorist organisations. The group has been under UN sanctions since 1999.
In August 2021, the Taliban declared control over the entire territory of Afghanistan, following the US withdrawal. In March 2022, Russia accredited the first diplomat from the Taliban government.
Over a dozen other countries have 'de facto' diplomatic relations with the Taliban on some level without any nation formally recognising the government. They include China, which became the first to name an ambassador to Afghanistan in 2023, as well as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, and others in the region.
Russian Presidential Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said that the legal process for removing the Taliban from his country's list of 'terrorist groups' was nearing completion and that the decision had already been taken at the highest level, speaking at a press conference following the sixth meeting of the Moscow Format consultations on Friday.
"A decision in principle on this issue has been taken by Russia's top leadership, but this whole process must be done within the Russian legal framework. It requires meticulous work by lawyers, parliament and other agencies to ensure that this process is completed in the manner established by law. This is the only question. We are obliged to comply with federal laws and I hope that the final decision will be announced very soon," Kabulov added.
Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, for his part, described the country as secure and urged other nations to invest in its energy, economy and transport.
"Our foreign guests who visit Afghanistan see very well the potential that our country has, especially in the field of transport, transit and logistics. First of all, I am referring to a number of transport corridors, especially the North-South transport corridor. We are also pleased with the high level of diplomatic relations we have with regional states," Muttaqi said.
Afghanistan's acting foreign minister also warned that there could be instances of individuals or groups associated with the Islamic State group attempting to enter the country from abroad.
"In our contacts with countries in the region, we are emphasising this in every possible way and calling for support so that groups such as ISIS, which pose a threat to Afghanistan, can be countered together," the diplomat said.
In May, the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Justice Ministry presented a report to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the possibility of removing the Taliban from the register of terrorist organisations. The group has been under UN sanctions since 1999.
In August 2021, the Taliban declared control over the entire territory of Afghanistan, following the US withdrawal. In March 2022, Russia accredited the first diplomat from the Taliban government.
Over a dozen other countries have 'de facto' diplomatic relations with the Taliban on some level without any nation formally recognising the government. They include China, which became the first to name an ambassador to Afghanistan in 2023, as well as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, and others in the region.