Russia eyes removing Taliban from terrorist list

Russian specialized agencies are working on the issue of removing the Taliban movement from the status of a terrorist organisation.

"As for the removal of the status of a terrorist organisation from the Taliban Movement, this issue is being worked on by the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Russian Ministry of Justice and other Russian profile departments,” the Russian Foreign Ministry told Gazeta.ru.

According to the ministry, “the final decision will be made by the highest political leadership of the country.”

On April 1, Russian Presidential Special Representative for Afghanistan and Director of the Foreign Ministry's Second Asia Department Zamir Kabulov said that a delegation of the Afghan Taliban had been invited to participate in the Russia-Islamic World forum in Kazan scheduled for May. Kabulov added that Russia's cooperation with the Taliban government on anti-terror "is being conducted regularly."