Russia decides to remove Taliban from list of organisations designated as terrorists: Reports

Russia has decided to remove the Taliban, the force which has been ruling Afghanistan since 2021, from its list of organizations designated as terrorists, media reports said.

Russian Special Presidential Representative for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov told TASS news agency: “The [Russian] Foreign Ministry jointly with the FSB (Russia’s Federal Security Service – TASS) and a number of other Russian agencies are putting finishing legal touches on the removal of the Taliban movement from Russia’s list of terrorists. <…> A principal decision on this has already been made by the Russian leadership. But the process should be carried out within the Russian legal framework.”

“Hopefully, the final decision will be announced soon,” he added.

The Taliban has been ruling Afghanistan since 2021 when the former Ashraf Ghani-led administration collapsed following the exit of foreign forces.

The movement still remains outlawed in Russia.

Moscow reportedly had levelled the Taliban as a terrorist organisation in 2003.