Accrediting Taliban diplomat does not mean recognition of government, says Russia

Moscow [Russia], April 9 (ANI): Over a week after it accredited a diplomat of the Taliban regime, Russia's Foreign Ministry said that accepting the credentials of the first diplomat does not mean recognizing the current government in Kabul.
"It is too early to talk about the official recognition of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan," said Maria Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, according to Tolo News.
Kabul says it is trying to formalize its relations with other countries through a balanced policy.
Inamullah Samangani, deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, said that diplomatic relations with Russia are important for the government of Afghanistan.
"Islamic Emirate is trying to formalize its relations with other countries through a balanced policy," he said.
The Islamic Emirate has not yet been officially recognized by any country but countries such as Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, China, and Russia have accepted diplomats from the Islamic Emirate.
"A government, which is in power in the country, in order to implement some of its work needs to establish diplomatic relations with countries," said Sayed Javad Sajjadi, an expert on international relations.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Viktorovich Lavrov had received the first diplomat of the Islamic Emirate at the Afghan Embassy in Moscow at a meeting of Afghan-neighbouring countries in China, according to Tolo News. (ANI)