Russia announced Thursday it had accepted the credentials of Afghanistan’s new ambassador, becoming the first country to recognize the Taliban government.
"We believe that the act of official recognition of the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will give impetus to the development of productive bilateral cooperation between our countries in various fields," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The Taliban administration in Afghanistan has been calling on the global community to recognize its legitimacy as the official government in the country. However, the international community has urged the Taliban to form a representative government and respect human and women's rights before seeking any legitimacy.
