Russia becomes first country to recognize Taliban government

Russia became the first country to recognize the Taliban government, a decision Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mottaki described as “courageous.”

Russian Ambassador to Kabul Dmitry Zahirnov and Afghan Foreign Minister Amirkhan Mottaki met in Kabul yesterday (July 3). Following the meeting, Russia officially recognized the Taliban government.

Mottaki described Russia's step as a "courageous decision" and said it was the beginning of a new era based on mutual respect and constructive relations.

The Russian Foreign Ministry made a statement following the official recognition of the Taliban rule in Afghanistan.

The statement stressed that the official recognition of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan would pave the way for constructive and sustainable cooperation between the two countries. It also emphasized the potential for cooperation in the fields of energy, transport, agriculture and infrastructure, and stated that Moscow would continue to support Afghanistan in the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking.

Moscow was one of the few countries that did not close its embassy in Kabul after the Taliban seized power. Russia, which signed the first international economic agreement with the Taliban in 2022, agreed to supply oil, natural gas and wheat to Afghanistan.

The Taliban was removed from Russia's list of terrorist organizations in April 2024. Moscow announced that this step was taken for a "full-fledged partnership."

After the Taliban took over power in 2021, they announced in their statements that they would recognize women's rights to education and work within the framework of Islam. However, in a short time, bans reminiscent of the first period of power (1996-2001) were re-implemented.

With the Taliban coming to power, girls were banned from secondary and high school education, and women were prevented from going to university. A United Nations Security Council report found that female personnel’s access to the field had dropped from 64 percent to 52 percent.

Women were banned from working in civil society organizations and the United Nations, beauty salons were closed, women were required to be accompanied by a male escort for long-distance travel, and they were required to cover their faces in public. Finally, women were banned from speaking outside the home.

"There will be no drug production in Afghanistan. Opium production will drop to zero." Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid made this statement when they seized power.

According to a report shared by the United Nations Security Council in February 2025, although the opium ban declared by the Taliban government in 2022 is in its second year, drug production has not stopped completely. The report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime shows that opium production in Afghanistan increased by 19 percent compared to 2023, reaching 433 tons. However, this amount remained well below the production levels before the ban.

Taliban officials promised to make the country a “self-sufficient” economy when they came to power in 2021. Although some infrastructure projects have been implemented in the four years since, large segments of Afghanistan still struggle to meet their basic needs.

According to the World Bank’s December 2024 report, Afghanistan’s economy under the Taliban could only grow by 2.7 percent. This growth is mainly driven by private consumption expenditures. However, the economy is still described as “fragile and uncertain.” The report listed restrictions on women’s participation in the workforce, financial isolation, trade deficits and weak public investment as the main obstacles to development.

In the last quarter of 2024, 418 incidents of interference with humanitarian workers were recorded. 86% of these incidents were caused by direct interference by Taliban authorities in aid activities. 41 aid workers were detained, and a total of 161 aid activities were temporarily suspended.

The Taliban first came to power in Afghanistan in 1996. During this period, which lasted until they were overthrown by the US-led intervention in 2001, women were denied access to education, were required to wear burqas, and were forbidden from going out alone. Music, television, and cinema were banned . Thieves had their hands cut off, and people were stoned to death on charges of “adultery.” One of the most notable decisions was the destruction of Buddha statues in Bamyan in 2001, despite international outcry.

Today, although the Taliban has gained its first step towards international legitimacy with Russian recognition, its practices are still reminiscent of its first term in power. Many international organizations, including the United Nations, emphasize that the Taliban's human rights record has not changed.

Source: BBC & UN Security Council