KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Russia has invited Taliban authorities to attend its largest annual economic event, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), which will be held from June 5-8.
According to a report by the Russian state news agency, TASS, on Monday, May 27, the Russian envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, announced that an invitation had been extended to the Taliban. He noted that there are numerous promising areas of cooperation between Moscow and Kabul.
“Traditionally, the Afghans are interested in continuing expanding cooperation on purchasing petroleum products and other hot commodities from Russia,” Mr. Kabulov said. “Certainly, it is possible to talk about using Afghanistan’s transit capabilities in order to expand trade turnover with this vast region,” he added.
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is a distinguished event in the world of business and economics. Established in 1997, SPIEF has been held under the auspices of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, since 2005, with Putin attending each event.
Over the years, the Forum has become a leading global platform for business leaders to convene and discuss critical economic issues affecting Russia, emerging markets, and the world at large.
In the wake of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, Russia, along with a few other regional countries, maintained their diplomatic ties with the Taliban. They kept their embassies open in Kabul and allowed Taliban diplomats to take over the Afghan embassies in their respective capitals.
While Russia has not formally recognized the Taliban government, it has engaged in discussions with the regime’s authorities and hosted numerous meetings concerning Afghanistan, with the participation of Taliban authorities.
In a recent move toward further normalizing relations with the Taliban and recognizing its government in Afghanistan, the Russian Foreign and Justice Ministries have informed President Vladimir Putin that the Taliban can be removed from Russia’s list of designated terrorist organizations.
According to the TASS News Agency, Zamir Kabulov highlighted that the recommendation had been endorsed by other Russian government agencies.
“This removal of the Taliban from the list of banned organizations before its recognition must be done. Without this, it will be premature to talk about recognition,” the Russian senior diplomat said. “Therefore, work on this issue continues. All considerations have been reported to the top leadership of Russia. We are waiting for a decision,” he added.
The TASS News Agency also quoted Russian lawyer Dmitry Agranovsky, saying that the Taliban can only be removed from Russia’s list of terrorist organizations if the country’s Supreme Court approves the decision.
The Russian Federation designated the Taliban as a terrorist organization in 2003, after the group endorsed Chechnya’s bid for independence and attempted to sell 500 heavy weapons to Chechen rebels via Saudi charity, al-Haramain.
