Growing economic ties prompted the move to formalize cooperation, the Russian envoy to Afghanistan told RT

Russia officially recognized the Taliban government in Afghanistan to formalize expanding cooperation between the two countries and move toward full-scale political engagement, Russia's presidential envoy to the Central Asian country, Zamir Kabulov, told RT on Friday.

Moscow became the first major power to establish formal diplomatic ties with the Islamist government this week following the presentation of credentials by a new Afghan ambassador in the Russian capital.

Kabulov said maintaining a close partnership had become important after it became clear that the current government in Kabul was "doing its best to cope" with terrorism and drug trafficking.

He noted that economic cooperation with Afghanistan had already begun, but to make it "legally complete" Moscow needed to recognize the government de jure. "Now it's time for our political interaction in full-fledged terms and conditions," he stated.

Kabulov, who previously served as Russia's ambassador to Kabul, said the Taliban have undergone a transformation since first taking power in the 1990s, when the group stood for global jihad. "This time, Taliban came into power as a national [movement]," which is focused all its efforts on domestic interests, he said.

The Taliban returned to power in August 2021 following a chaotic withdrawal by US and NATO forces from Afghanistan. It renamed the country the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. In April, the Russian Supreme Court removed the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations. On Thursday, Kabulov confirmed to the media that Moscow now officially recognized the Taliban government.

The envoy noted that Taliban representatives have attended economic forums in Russia as the two sides explore cooperation in investment and natural resource development.

Afghanistan's geographic position offers potential as an "important economic and logistic hub for the big Eurasian continent," Kabulov said.

Although the Taliban government remains unrecognized by most of the international community, several regional powers have renewed contacts with it. Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi welcomed Moscow's move, writing on X that "Russia was ahead of everyone."