An ambassador from Afghanistan arrived in Russia today for the first time since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, confirming Moscow’s rapprochement with Kabul.

Unnamed sources told RIA Novosti and TASS that Ambassador Gul Hasan has arrived in the Russian capital and will soon take up his duties. The embassy, contacted by Agence France-Presse, said the diplomat was due to arrive in Moscow today but would not confirm that he was already there.

The previous ambassador, Syed Tayeb Jawad, who was appointed before the Taliban took power, remained in the post until April 2022. He was then replaced by a Taliban-appointed chief of staff.

In April this year, Moscow approved the appointment of a Taliban ambassador as part of a drive to strengthen ties between Russia and Afghanistan. This followed a decision by Russia’s Supreme Court removing the Taliban from the list of “terrorist organisations”, a symbolic but significant move.

The Taliban entered Kabul on August 15, 2021, after the collapse of the US-backed government. This was followed, a few days later, by the complete withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan. Since then, Russia has been promoting normalization of its relations with the new government, which it considers a potential economic partner.

The Taliban are not currently recognized as the legitimate government of Afghanistan by any country, mainly because they violate women’s rights.

Apart from Russia, Pakistan, China, Iran, and most Central Asian countries maintain some diplomatic relations with the Taliban.

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