Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 1, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
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Russia accepts the Taliban's ambassador nomination, signaling strengthened ties between the two nations despite lack of formal recognition.
By Mohammad Yunus Yawar
KABUL (Reuters) -Russia has officially accepted the Taliban's nomination of an ambassador to Moscow, the Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday, as economic and political ties grow between the two sanctions-hit nations.
Russia in April suspended its ban on the Taliban, which it had designated for more than two decades as a terrorist organisation, in a move that paved the way for Moscow to normalise ties with the leadership of Afghanistan.
No country has formally recognised the Taliban's government, which took over the country in 2021 as U.S.-led forces withdrew.
"We hope this new phase will allow both countries to expand cooperation in various fields," said Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban's acting foreign minister, in a statement.
China in 2023 became the first country to accept a diplomat at ambassador level from the Taliban and several countries have since followed, including Pakistan which announced it would upgrade the position this week. Diplomats say formally presenting ambassadorial credentials to a foreign head of state signals a step towards recognition.
(Reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar in Kabul; Writing by Ariba Shahid in Karachi; Editing by Charlotte Greenfield and Kirsten Donovan)
Russia has officially accepted the Taliban's nomination of an ambassador to Moscow, as stated by the Afghan foreign ministry.
Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist organization for more than two decades before suspending its ban in April.
The Taliban's acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, expressed hope that this new phase will allow both countries to expand cooperation in various fields.
China became the first country to accept a diplomat at ambassador level from the Taliban in 2023.
As of now, no country has formally recognized the Taliban's government, which took control of Afghanistan in 2021.
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