Moscow, Apr 18 (PTI) Russia is committed to honour UNSC anti-terror sanctions against individuals and legal entities associated with Taliban, Russian Foreign Ministry said after the apex court here suspended a ban on the outfit as a terrorist organisation.

The Supreme Court on Thursday suspended the over two decades old ban on Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban, paving the way for the establishment of full-fledged relations between Moscow and Kabul.

Russia had proscribed the Taliban movement as a terrorist outfit in 2003. However, since the hasty withdrawal of the US troops in August 2021, the Taliban has gained control over Afghanistan.

“The decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on suspending the terrorist status of the Taliban movement does not entail changes in the international commitments of the Russian Federation regarding compliance with the UN Security Council regime of sanctions against individuals and legal entities associated with Taliban, as well as other groups and entities,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

It said the removal of terrorist status from the Taliban movement, which formed the Afghan government following the collapse of the pro-Western regime of Ashraf Ghani in 2021, opens the way to the establishment of a full-fledged partnership with Kabul in the interests of Russian and Afghan people.

“Russia is set to build mutually advantageous ties with Afghanistan in all areas, including combating drug trafficking and terrorism. Russia appreciates the military and law enforcement operations conducted by Afghanistan’s authorities in its territory against Wilayat Khorasan, an Afghan wing of ISIS, which professes an ultra-radical ideology of a ‘global jihad’,” the Foreign Ministry statement noted.

It underlined Moscow’s intent to put special emphasis on building up trade, business and investment relations with Kabul. PTI VS NPK NPK