Russia is finalising the issue to exclude the Taliban movement from the list of terrorist organizations. The movement works to "restore order and maintain stability” in Afghanistan.
"Establishing pragmatic cooperation through special services is of mutual interest," FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov said, Interfax reports.
The decision to exclude the Taliban from the list of terrorist organizations has already been made at the highest level, but legal procedures must be observed, Russian Presidential Representative for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said.
According to Bortnikov, the Taliban is ready to fight the Afghan wing of ISIS terror group known as Vilayat Khorasan (banned in the Russian Federation), "which continues to receive resource support from the West as the West wants to use the capabilities of the terrorist group in false flag subversive operations in Russia."
The Taliban movement seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 almost without a fight after the United States, its allies and the government they supported hastily left the country after 20 years of presence. To date, no country in the world has recognised the movement as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. However, many countries, including Russia, China and Iran maintain relations with representatives of the movement.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, answering a question about the possible exclusion of the Taliban from the Russian list of terrorist organizations, said that the movement "acts as the government in Afghanistan, and relations with them must be built based on reality."