The white flag over Moscow: "Taliban" legally enters Russia, now it is the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
Turning south. The Kremlin opens its doors to Kabul — we are partners again
Author: Yuri Enzov
Photo: The Afghan flag introduced by the Taliban was raised for the first time above the embassy in Moscow.
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Vladimir Sotnikov
Vladimir Sotnikov, the Russian special representative for Afghanistan issues, stated that the Russian Federation has officially recognized the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
Dmitry Zhirnov, the Russian ambassador to Kabul, said that the decision to recognize the new government in Afghanistan was made personally by President Vladimir Putin at the suggestion of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Russia was the first country more than a century ago to recognize Afghanistan's independence. This move shows that Moscow is committed to building a comprehensive friendly relationship with the Afghan people.
Therefore, a year ago, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko of Russia received a copy of the credentials from the newly appointed Afghan ambassador, Gul Hassan Khan.
Russia plans to expand cooperation in areas such as trade, energy, transportation, agriculture, and the construction of Afghanistan's infrastructure.
Russia has expressed willingness to support Afghanistan's efforts to ensure regional security, combat terrorism, and the illegal drug trade.
Orientalist Vladimir Sotnikov believes that this event will change the power structure in the region and even in the entire international politics:
"Previously, 'the Taliban were considered a terrorist organization,' now we are establishing and developing a partnership with them. The idea of establishing a safe zone in the region has become possible.
However, the tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have hindered this, as conflicts continue in the tribal areas, and Pakistani soldiers are injured.
The core of the problem is that Pakistan believes that the 'Taliban of Pakistan' (a separate organization composed of Pashtuns in Pakistan) currently uses Afghan territory as a base.
Pakistan has accused Afghanistan, which hinders the establishment of a solid security foundation. Russia remains neutral on this issue.
Recognizing the 'Taliban' could make Russia a mediator between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the future."
"SP": What about other countries in the region: Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, perhaps others?
"Not only does Russia no longer consider the Afghan Taliban a terrorist organization. Monarchies in the Middle East and some other countries are also prepared to do so. The 'Taliban' today is not the same organization we knew when they first took power in 1996. They have formed a mature structure. They have successfully restored production on the ruins."
"SP": For us, the Taliban are cracking down on drugs, which may be a positive aspect.
"Their crackdown on drug trafficking is very important. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has noticed that they are indeed destroying opium poppy and cannabis cultivation."
Certainly, we agree with this, because these drugs used to flow into our country through the Central Asian republics and then from our territory to Europe.
"SP": But Germany has said it will deport Afghan refugees.
"This indicates dissatisfaction within Western Europe. Their position on the Ukraine crisis is confusing, and their stance towards Russia is unjustifiably aggressive.
Regarding the deportation of Afghan refugees, Afghanistan strongly opposes it. I think deporting refugees cannot help Europe consolidate its position in the region.
In Britain, Germany, and Italy, people accuse Afghan refugees of carrying drugs. However, the position of European authorities is not constructive. The issue should not be resolved by deportation, but by negotiations with the Afghan authorities to have them recall their refugees."
"SP": What economic interests might we have in engaging with Afghanistan? Or will it be like the Soviet era, where everything was built for free?
"First, we provided 100,000 tons of food free of charge in the form of humanitarian aid. However, the reconstruction of enterprises, like in the neighboring country of Pakistan, will be paid. The Soviet Union no longer exists. Now, Russia's policy is entirely pragmatic.
President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly mentioned some basic principles of national policy, which mean considering our national interests."
We can develop Afghanistan's rich mineral resources, gems, gold, rare earth elements, and other various resources. It is not accidental that the United States has shown interest again.
This expert reminded us that Washington is also preparing to resume relations with Afghanistan, even conducting some semi-secret negotiations in Qatar...
Additionally, the Russian Foreign Ministry also emphasized the importance of developing humanitarian and cultural ties, including cooperation in education, sports, and culture.
Afghanistan stated that the decision of Moscow to recognize the Islamic Emirate is a "historic step," and the Afghan Foreign Ministry reported this on the social media platform X.
After the withdrawal of the Western coalition forces, Afghanistan entered a new stage in its history. The withdrawal was initiated according to the agreement signed in February 2020 between the United States and the "Taliban" movement in Doha, the capital of Qatar. The Taliban promised to stop cooperating with international terrorist organizations and start negotiations with the then Ashraf Ghani government.
However, the negotiations did not take place. As the Taliban advanced across the country, Ghani fled to the UAE, and the government eventually fell into the hands of the "students" (Taliban means "students").
In the spring of 2024, Russia made a significant change in its political and legal attitude toward the new Afghan regime.
The Supreme Court approved the prosecution's lawsuit, suspending the ban on the activities of the "Taliban" movement in Russia. This decision was an important step toward the formal recognition of the Islamic Emirate.
At the same time, the flag of the new regime was raised for the first time above the Afghan embassy in Moscow — a white flag with the black "Shahada" (the declaration of faith), which is a symbol of Muslim faith. The Taliban replaced the previous black, red, and green tricolor flag with this one.
The Shahada is the core symbol of Muslim faith. The content of the Shahada is: "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah." Translated into Chinese, it reads: "There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the messenger of Allah." Reciting this statement sincerely makes one a Muslim.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7523402218318414379/
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