Taliban Appoints New Ambassador to Moscow as Relations Strengthen

A Taliban diplomat is set to become Afghanistan’s ambassador to Russia on Tuesday, marking the first high-level representative the group has sent to Moscow since taking control in 2021, according to reports from Russian state media.

Gul Hassan, previously a consul in Pakistan, arrived in the Russian capital earlier on Tuesday and is expected to «begin his responsibilities» soon, as stated by the state-run TASS news agency.

An official at the Afghan embassy confirmed to AFP that Hassan «was scheduled to arrive today.»

Since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan after a two-decade conflict against the U.S.-backed government, Moscow has strengthened its economic and diplomatic relations with the group.

Other nations, including China and the United Arab Emirates, have also welcomed representatives appointed by the Taliban, though no country has formally recognized them as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

The Taliban took control after American forces withdrew their support for the internationally recognized Afghan government in 2021.

In the ensuing period, Moscow has worked to normalize relations with the Taliban, having removed their designation as a «terrorist organization» in April and extending invitations to them for official events.

Russia was the first nation to accept a Taliban-appointed chargé d’affaires in 2022.

Furthermore, Russia established a business representative office in Kabul following the Taliban’s takeover and has announced intentions to use Afghanistan as a transit corridor for gas shipments to Southeast Asia.

In July 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to the Taliban as «partners in the fight against terrorism.»