Members of the Islamic group of Taliban participate in the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia, on June 18, 2025. Photo: Dmitri Lovetsky / AP / Profimedia
A Taliban diplomat will take over the position of ambassador of Afghanistan in Russia on Tuesday, this being the first high representative of the Islamist group in Moscow since taking power in 2021, the Russian state press reported, according to AFP.
Hassan gul, the consul in Pakistan, arrived on Tuesday morning in the Russian capital and will take over his “functions”, the TASS news agency wrote.
An official of the Afgane Embassy told AFP that Hassan “is going to arrive today”.
Moscow has expanded its economic and diplomatic relations with the Islamist group since its return to power in Afghanistan, after 20 years of insurgents against the Government of Kabul supported by the US.
Other countries, including China and the United Arab Emirates, also accepted an emissary named by Talibans, although no state has yet officially recognized them as a legitimate government of Afghanistan.
The Islamist group took over the power after the American forces supporting the internationally recognized government withdrew in 2021.
Since then, Moscow has taken measures to normalize relations with the Taliban authorities, eliminating in April their designation as a “terrorist organization” and inviting them to official events.
Moscow had already accepted a tasked tassel named in 2022.
Russia was the first country to open a commercial representation office in Kabul after taking power by the Taliban and announced plans to use Afghanistan as a transit node for Southeast Asia.
In July 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin cataloged the Talibans as “allies in the fight against terrorism”.
