Russia is now considering taking the Taliban off its record of criminal organisations, authorities have indicated.
The Taliban’s invitation to an global economic community taking place in Kazan, Russia, in May, is a sign of their extremely polite relationship, despite the fact that no definitive decision has yet been made. Russia was one of the few countries to register a minister when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, and the Kremlin has previously opened up discussions with them.
Both sides have something to get from a stronger marriage, as evidenced by the political and economic crisis in Afghanistan and the northern sanctions against Russia following the Ukraine conflict.
The Taliban was found guilty of providing refuge and education to foreign terrorists in the UN security council resolution 1267, which was adopted in 1999. Vladimir Putin ratified a order implementing the UN resolution and enforcing sanctions against the Taliban a few months afterwards.
The Taliban action was identified as a criminal organization by the Russian supreme court in 2003, asserting that it had links to Chechnya’s illegal armed forces and was attempting to take control of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
In an effort to establish a peacemaking responsibility for itself, Russia launched a local effort in 2017 to engage the Kabul state and the Taliban.
These discussions typically included China, Iran, Pakistan, and Main Asian nations, and were intended to offer solutions to the Afghanistan problems. Despite calling the Taliban a criminal organization, Russia kept in touch with them.
Interests and goals
Since the party took over control of Afghanistan, no foreign state have recognized the Taliban authorities. Few indications exist but that many are even considering doing so, in part due to the Taliban’s ongoing violation of women’s rights and general human rights violations.
The Taliban wants global sanctions to be withdrawn, Afghanistan’s UN seats to be given to them and freezing assets to be released – which will help the nation ’s economic growth.
If foreign sanctions are withdrawn, Afghanistan should benefit financially from developing the critical Lapis-Lazuli business corridor, which links Afghanistan to Istanbul and Europe, and the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway line. A first step toward global recognition of the existing Afghan government would be to be removed from Russia’s list of terrorists.
Additionally, Russia can profit from its assistance with the Taliban. It aims to manifest itself as the region’s security company, expecting to be strongly compared with the US, which failed to create balance in Afghanistan. Central Asia is considered to be a traditional hotspot ( the Soviet Union was involved in an armed conflict there from 1979 to 1989 ).
It is also concerned about instability in the region, drug trafficking and challenges from Islamist extremism, particularly after the new ISIS-K attack on the Crocus City Hall, Moscow.
To increase its geoeconomic and geopolitical presence in the region, Russia can use the alliances it has already built – the Collective Security Treaty Organization ( a military alliance with Armenia Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, formed in 2002 ) and the Eurasian Economic Union ( an economic union of five post-Soviet states ). Russia’s 2023 foreign policy prepare mentions leads for Afghanistan’s inclusion into “the European space for assistance. ”
Russia’s connection building
The Taliban’s growing participation with Russia has implications for the West’s continued conflict. Moscow has tried to persuade other countries to support its geopolitical analysis of the reason the conflict is taking place since the start of the Ukraine war.
In contrast to the “godless ” West, this historical and policy position Russia as a protector of traditional religions and values. Additionally, it provides information on the right of empires to emerge and grow within their own values, a point that may appeal to the Taliban and that Russia presents as a comparison to the West.
In 2022, Putin said:
Any civilization’s capacity to chart its own course and establish its own socio-political technique is what determines genuine politics in a multipolar world. If the United States or the EU states have this straight, then the nations of Asia, the Muslim states, and the Persian Gulf monarchies also have this right.
These concepts are well-known in the Arab world because they offer an alternative to Western society and recognize Islamic values as essential and equal, without having to conform to Western conceptions of right and wrong.
The potential rapprochement with the Taliban is a sign to the Islamic world, particularly that, unlike the US, Russia is an ally that wo n’t veer off into another country’s affairs or dictate its values.
Economically, and politically, the Taliban need to collaborate with Moscow, but this does n’t think the Taliban believe Russian officials and their official range or that they have forgotten the Russian military battle in Afghanistan. For now, having Moscow as an ally is extremely useful.
Intigam Mamedov is a postdoctoral research fellow in social sciences at Northumbria University, Newcastle.
This article was republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.