Russia has formally removed the Taliban from its list of designated terrorist organisations, officially recognising it has the legitimate government of Afghanistan on April 17.

The removal of the terrorist label that has been place for two decades is an official recognition of a de facto policy that has been in place shortly after the Taliban seized back frontal of the country following the US chaotic withdrawal in 2021. While formally the government cannot deal with a terrorist organisation, Taliban leaders have been frequent visitors to Moscow and even sent a delegation to last year’s St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Russia’ premier investment forum.

The decision was handed down by Russia’s Supreme Court following a request from the Prosecutor General’s Office. It follows a legislative amendment signed into law by President Vladimir Putin in late 2024, which allows for the reclassification of entities if it can be demonstrated that they no longer engage in terrorist activities.

The Taliban, which returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021 with a rapid military operation that crushed the US trained Afghan army, has maintained informal ties with the Russian government. Moscow has hosted Taliban delegations at a series of regional security and economic forums, despite not formally recognising the group as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

By removing the terrorist designation, Russia is expected to clear the path for deeper diplomatic and commercial engagement. The move follows similar decisions already taken by Kazakhstan in December 2023 and Kyrgyzstan in September 2024, which share borders with Afghanistan and have both delisted the Taliban in recent years as part of a regional recalibration towards Afghanistan.

The Taliban government remains the subject of widespread international criticism, particularly for its restrictions on women’s rights and access to education. These policies have contributed to its continued isolation and the suspension of much foreign aid. Nonetheless, some states have pursued pragmatic ties with the group to ensure regional security and curb the influence of extremist offshoots such as Islamic State-Khorasan.

Relation in Central Asia have been improving dramatically in recent years as the region pulls together and deepens inter-state cooperation, a process that has been catalysed by the geopolitical clash between East and West. The presidents of the five ‘Stans have begun to cooperate in the so-called C5 format and act as one in international relations. As part of this increased unity they have also sought better relations with the Taliban, which is seen locally as the major source of regional instability.

​Uzbekistan has significantly deepened its engagement with the Taliban-led government and been a driving force in normalising ties, focusing on economic cooperation and regional stability. While Tashkent has not officially recognized the Taliban as Afghanistan's legitimate government, it has taken notable steps to strengthen bilateral ties, such as opening a multi-million dollar trading station on their shared border and restarted electricity exports to the country.