**Recognition of Reality**
On October 5, the 8th meeting of the Moscow Format of Consultations on Afghanistan took place in Moscow. Participants discussed the situation in and around Afghanistan, including the conflict between Kabul and Islamabad. The meeting brought together special representatives and senior officials from Afghanistan, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Delegations from Belarus and Egypt were invited as guests.
During the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke positively about the activities of the Taliban movement, which governs Afghanistan.
"The national government that came to power, led by the Taliban movement, has brought the country's territory under control and, it must be admitted, is managing it quite successfully," the head of the Russian foreign ministry stated.
According to him, the Taliban are waging an uncompromising struggle against terrorist groups on Afghan territory. "Hundreds of militants have been eliminated, and a number of high-profile terrorist acts have been thwarted, including those against foreign citizens and diplomatic missions," TASS quotes Sergey Lavrov as saying.
The Russian Foreign Minister noted that strengthening Kabul's counter-terrorism capabilities serves common interests, and emphasized the need for logistical and expert support, as well as contacts between intelligence services and law enforcement agencies.
According to S. Lavrov, Western sanctions have not prevented the development of Afghanistan's economy. "The Afghan economy continues to develop despite the harsh sanction pressure from Western countries, which, under the pretext of protecting human rights, have cut off the Islamic Emirate from the international financial system and seized its national banking assets," the minister said.
He also pointed out that "the Afghan authorities have confirmed their commitment to regional energy projects, including the TAPI main gas pipeline (Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India), carried out tax reform, strengthened anti-corruption legislation, and revived industry."
Sergey Lavrov cited official data showing that around 170 new manufacturing facilities have opened in Afghanistan. He added that the country has "developed a five-year plan for the development of the electric power industry," and "the volume of foreign trade, which Afghanistan conducts with more than 100 countries around the world, grew last year to $14 billion."
The Russian Foreign Minister stated that Russia will continue to provide humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, with the next shipment arriving in the country in the coming months. "Russia, for its part, will continue to make regular humanitarian deliveries. The next batch of these deliveries should arrive in Afghanistan in the next month or two," Sergey Lavrov said.
Russia began building contacts with the Taliban long before the movement's return to power. The Moscow Format of Consultations on Afghanistan was launched in 2016. The Taliban joined it later. After they came to power in August 2021, interaction continued, although Russia did not officially recognize the government they formed for a long time.
In 2024, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice proposed removing the Taliban from the Russian list of terrorist organizations. At the time, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that relations with the current authorities of Afghanistan "need to be built somehow," since they are the ones controlling the country's territory. In April 2025, the Supreme Court granted the petition of the Prosecutor General's Office and removed the movement from the list of terrorist organizations. In July of the same year, Russia officially recognized the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and remains the only country to have taken this formal diplomatic step so far.