Kabul: Russia has invited Afghanistan’s Taliban to its largest annual economic forum, signaling a potential shift in its stance towards the Islamist movement, a senior Russian diplomat revealed on Monday. Since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, following the US-led withdrawal after two decades of conflict, Russia has been gradually fostering relations with the group, despite it being officially banned in the country.

Zamir Kabulov, director of the Second Asia Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, informed state news agency TASS that the foreign and justice ministries have reported to President Vladimir Putin on the matter of lifting the ban on the Taliban. While some issues remain unresolved, Kabulov confirmed that an invitation had been extended to the Taliban for the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, scheduled for June 5-8. He noted that Afghan leaders have traditionally shown interest in purchasing oil products.

The St. Petersburg forum, which once welcomed Western CEOs and investment bankers, has undergone significant changes amid the Ukraine war, leading to the most severe crisis in Russia-West relations since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Now, businesses from China, India, Africa, and the Middle East dominate the event.

Culled from Afghanistan Times