Kremlin: Removing Islamic Emirate From Banned List Requires Formal Process
The Kremlin clarified that removing the name of the Islamic Emirate from its country’s list of banned organizations requires going through formal procedures.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, quoting Russian President Vladimir Putin, described Russia’s relations with Afghanistan as essential and emphasized their expansion.
“Of course, it is very important to develop contacts with them [the Taliban]. The President said that it is necessary to establish contacts, especially since this is a country that is located in our neighboring region. These contacts are being carried out,” Peskov said.
“The US and the East have started a competitive policy in the region. The Islamic Emirate needs to maintain political balance between the two sides and should manage its policy with both parties wisely,” said Sayed Akbar Sial Wardak, a political affairs analyst.
This is not the first time Russian officials have spoken about removing the name of the Islamic Emirate from their country’s list of banned organizations. Previously, the Secretary-General of Russia’s National Security Council, during his visit to Kabul, was quoted as saying that Russia would remove the name of the Islamic Emirate from its list of banned organizations in the near future.
“Now that the US has left the region, Russia and China do not want the US to regain influence,” said Mohammad Aslam Danishmal, a political affairs analyst.
“They want to remove the Taliban from their list of banned organizations in some way. However, since they adhere to the principles of the United Nations, they proceed very cautiously and make prior arrangements,” said Aziz Maarej, another political analyst.
Although the Islamic Emirate is still on Russia’s banned organizations, diplomatic and economic interactions between Russia and the interim government have expanded over the past three years. Russia has also hosted several international meetings concerning Afghanistan.
