Russia becomes first country to officially recognise Taliban Government

Russia has officially recognised the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the name adopted by the Taliban following their takeover of the country in 2021, marking the first formal recognition of the group’s rule by any nation.

TASS reported President Vladimir Putin had made the decision following a recommendation from Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said “we believe that the act of official recognition of the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will give impetus to the development of productive bilateral cooperation between our countries in various fields.”

The move breaks with the stance of the broader international community, which has so far withheld formal recognition of the Taliban government due to concerns over human rights, particularly the treatment of women and girls.

Russia has maintained limited diplomatic engagement with the Taliban since their return to power but had stopped short of formal recognition - until now.