Russia first country to recognize Taleban govt of Afghanistan
'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 in various fields,' the ministry said. Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said in a statement: 'We value this courageous step taken by Russia, and, God willing, it will serve as an example for others as well.' The announcement was made after Muttaqi met Russia's ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov in Kabul on Thursday.
No other country has formally recognized the Taleban government that seized power in Aug 2021 as US-led forces staged a chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan after 20 years of war. However, China, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Pakistan have all designated ambassadors to Kabul, in a step towards recognition. The Russian move represents a major milestone for the Taleban administration as it seeks to ease its international isolation.
It is likely to be closely watched by Washington, which has frozen billions in Afghanistan's central bank assets and enforced sanctions on some senior leaders in the Taleban that contributed to Afghanistan's banking sector being largely cut off from the international financial system.
Russia has been gradually building relations with the Taliban, which President Vladimir Putin said last year was now an ally in fighting terrorism. Since 2022, Afghanistan has imported gas, oil and wheat from Russia. The Taleban was outlawed by Russia as a terrorist movement in 2003, but the ban was lifted in April this year. Russia sees a need to work with Kabul as it faces a major security threat from Islamist militant groups based in a string of countries from Afghanistan to the Middle East.
In March 2024, gunmen killed 149 people at a concert hall outside Moscow in an attack claimed by Islamic State. US officials said they had intelligence indicating it was the Afghan branch of the group, Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K), that was responsible. The Taleban says it is working to wipe out the presence of Islamic State in Afghanistan.
Western diplomats say the Taleban's path towards wider international recognition is blocked until it changes course on women's rights. The Taleban has closed high schools and universities to girls and women and placed restrictions on their movement without a male guardian. It says it respects women's rights in line with its strict interpretation of Islamic law.
Russia has a complex and bloodstained history in Afghanistan. Soviet troops invaded the country in Dec 1979 to prop up a Communist government, but became bogged down in a long war against mujahideen fighters armed by the United States. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev pulled his army out in 1989, by which time some 15,000 Soviet soldiers had been killed. – Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab Times
3 hours ago
- Arab Times
Russia's ex-minister found dead hours after being fired in an apparent suicide,
MOSCOW, July 7, (AP): Russian's transport minister was found dead Monday, hours after being dismissed by President Vladimir Putin, in what officials said was an apparent suicide. Roman Starovoyt, who served as Russia's transport minister since May 2024, was fired in a presidential decree earlier in the day. His dismissal came after a weekend of travel chaos when airports grounded hundreds of flights during the busy vacation season due to the threat of attacks from Kyiv. Also on Monday, Russia fired more than 100 drones at civilian areas of Ukraine overnight, authorities said. At least 10 civilians were killed and 38 injured, including three children, in Russian attacks over the previous 24 hours, Ukrainian officials said. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP's earlier story follows below.
Kuwait Times
15 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
Sanctions? No big deal, say Russian middle-class couple
MYTISHCHI: For Sergei Duzhikov and Maria Tyabut, a middle-class couple living in a town just outside Moscow, Western sanctions on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine have been manageable. The pair drive a Chinese car, vacation in Venezuela and buy 'Camembert' cheese made in Russia. Their modest two-bedroom apartment in Mytishchi, home to 300,000 people northeast of the capital, has been recently renovated and their Chinese-made fridge is stocked with Russian goods. Despite warnings of a looming recession and high inflation, they and many other Russians feel their economy has adapted successfully to Western sanctions, even if it means parting with some well-known Western brands for good. 'From the perspective of my everyday life - home, family, work, leisure, friends, hobbies, and interests, I honestly don't feel the impact of sanctions,' said Maria, who works at a cosmetics company. 'There aren't any brands that have left such a void that I can't live without them,' the 43-year-old added. Supermarkets have found a range of domestic and foreign alternatives to Western products, including Camembert cheese, one of Maria's creature comforts. 'It's delicious. I haven't tried real French Camembert, so I can't compare,' she admitted. 'Overall, my life hasn't changed much,' she told AFP. Western countries first levied economic sanctions against Russia in 2014, after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine. Those sanctions became significantly tighter following Moscow's full-scale assault on its neighbor. Moscow responded by ramping up production of domestic goods, shifting its trade away from the West to what it calls 'friendly' nations like China and importing other items through third countries. For ordinary Russians, the most noticeable effect of this was an exodus of Western brands from supermarket shelves and from the high street. Among the most well-known brands to leave was fast-food chain McDonald's, famously replaced by Russian-owned 'Vkusno i tochka' (which translates to 'Delicious, Full Stop') in 2022. Maria's husband Sergei, a funeral director, said he had 'no complaints' about the quality of the food. 'The kids love it,' he said of the restaurant chain. When shopping, Maria buys a new brand of yoghurt that replaced one belonging to French company Danone. Danone left the Russian market in 2022 and eventually sold its operations to a businessman linked to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Some Russian companies have also been able to import popular Western goods via third countries, albeit at a higher cost. As for vacations, Maria and Sergei have opted for trips across Russia and Latin America. Most European countries cut off direct flights to Russia shortly after the offensive began, while some tightened entry requirements for Russian citizens. The couple said they had been to Venezuela, a country under US sanctions, which they described as a nation of 'friendly people who love Russians.' The couple admitted there were a few teething issues. Two years ago, after a car accident, Sergei said he waited 'three months' for spare parts to repair his Korean-made Kia because of sanctions. 'That's when I realized that it probably made sense to sell my beloved Korean car and replace it with a similar Chinese one,' he told AFP. Maria also said she noticed it was harder to find products in 'certain' categories of goods. But overall, she said, 'I don't feel deprived in any way. Certainly not when it comes to food. There's a wide and rich selection.' The Russian economy has been marked by volatility since Moscow launched its Ukraine offensive in 2022, a military assault that has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. The country reported strong economic expansion in 2023 and 2024, largely due to massive state defence spending on the conflict, but is now slowing down after a period of what officials called 'overheating'. — AFP Inflation has also been running high, clocking in at more than double the central bank's target for over a year. Maria and her husband's combined income is around 300,000 rubles (around $3,800), higher than the average wage for one person of around 100,000. While Maria acknowledged prices were going up, she said her family was not 'crying' about it. 'It's not like we used to buy a kilogram of buckwheat three years ago, and now we can only afford 600 grams,' she said.- AFP
Kuwait Times
21 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
Gaza truce talks resume in Doha
Zionist strikes kill 80 • Netanyahu to meet Trump amid mounting pressure JERUSALEM: Indirect negotiations between Zionist entity and Hamas were set to resume Sunday in Doha for a Gaza truce and hostage release deal, ahead of a visit by Zionist entity Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House. Netanyahu had earlier announced he was sending a team to Qatar, a key mediator in the conflict, though he said Hamas's response to a draft US-backed ceasefire deal contained 'unacceptable' demands. Under mounting pressure to end the war, now approaching its 22nd month, Netanyahu is scheduled to meet on Monday with US President Donald Trump, who has been making a renewed push to end the fighting. A Palestinian official familiar with the talks and close to Hamas said international mediators had informed the group that 'a new round of indirect negotiations... will begin in Doha today'. The talks would focus on conditions for a possible ceasefire, including hostage and prisoner releases, and Hamas would also seek the reopening of Gaza's Rafah crossing to evacuate the wounded, the official told AFP. Hamas's delegation, led by its top negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya, was in Doha, the official told AFP. Zionist entity's public broadcaster said the country's delegation had left for the Qatari capital in the early afternoon. Netanyahu met Zionist entity President Isaac Herzog for talks on Gaza and efforts to expand ties with Arab states before his departure for the United States at 5 pm (1400 GMT). In Tel Aviv on Saturday, protesters gathered for a weekly rally demanding the return of hostages held in Gaza. Macabit Mayer, the aunt of captives Gali and Ziv Berman, called for a deal 'that saves everyone'. Two Palestinian sources close to the discussions told AFP the proposal included a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and several bodies in exchange for Palestinians detained by Zionist entity. However, they said, the group was also demanding certain conditions for Zionist entity's withdrawal, guarantees against a resumption of fighting during negotiations, and the return of the UN-led aid distribution system. On the ground, Gaza's civil defense agency said 80 people were killed by Zionist entity forces. The agency said 10 were killed in a pre-dawn strike on Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, where AFP images showed Palestinians searching through the rubble for survivors with their bare hands. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defense agency. Contacted by AFP, the Zionist military said it could not comment on specific strikes without precise coordinates. Sheikh Radwan resident Osama Al-Hanawi told AFP: 'The rest of the family is still under the rubble.' 'We are losing young people, families and children every day, and this must stop now. Enough blood has been shed.' Of the 251 hostages taken by Palestinian militants during the October 2023 attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Zionist military says are dead. Recent efforts to broker a new truce have repeatedly failed, with the primary point of contention being Zionist entity's rejection of Hamas's demand for a lasting ceasefire. The war has created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip. Karima Al-Ras, from Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, said 'we hope that a truce will be announced' to allow in more aid. 'People are dying for flour,' she said. A US- and Zionist entity-backed group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, took the lead in food distribution in the territory in late May, when Zionist entity partially lifted a more than two-month blockade on aid deliveries. UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the GHF over concerns it was designed to cater to Zionist entity military objectives. The UN human rights office said more than 500 people have been killed waiting to access food from GHF distribution points.—AFP
