The Taliban* attending SPIEF2024 is part of routine work to develop Russian-Afghan ties, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.
Zakharova explained the Afghan delegation's presence at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2024 on Friday.
Speaking on the third day of the forum, Zarkharova stressed that Russia's efforts to foster relations with the present Kabul administration, alongside initiatives to remove the Taliban from international terrorism lists, are a sign of current geopolitical dynamics.
Those actions, she added, aim to address global security concerns and promote stability on an international scale.
"Russia developing ties with current administration in Kabul, work on excluding Taliban from the international terror lists simply reflects the current realities; this should help to tackle international issue for the sake of global security and stability," Zakharova noted.
The delegation from the proscribed group in Russia is headed by Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Abdul Manan Omari. It has arrived in St Petersburg on June 5.
Zamir Kabulov, the Russian special presidential envoy for Afghanistan and director of the Foreign Ministry’s Second Asia Department, said earlier that besides Omari, the delegation would also include the head of the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Kabulov stated that Russia’s foreign and justice ministries had advised President Vladimir Putin on the potential removal of the Taliban from the list of prohibited organisations. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed that the proposal aligns with objective reality.
*under UN sanctions for terror activities