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Russia is preparing to remove the Taliban from its list of designated terrorist organizations.

What’s the deal: According to Russia’s envoy to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, a decision has been made to remove the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations. According to Kabulov, this process is currently undergoing final legal steps by Russia’s Federal Security Service and other agencies.

Digging deeper: The news from Kabulov comes one day after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks with the Taliban’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi. Ahead of their meeting, Lavrov revealed that the meeting would focus on “cooperation between Moscow and Kabul.” He added, “Ignoring criticism from the world community, the United States continues to illegally hold onto Afghanistan’s national assets and maintains tough sanctions against the country’s banking sector.”

Russia’s ties with the Taliban: Following the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and the Taliban’s rise to power, Russia’s relations with the group have grown significantly. Russian officials have openly said that the Taliban’s control in Afghanistan is good for ensuring regional stability and countering terrorism, particularly from ISIS. Since taking over, Russia has provided the Taliban with humanitarian aid and has called for the lifting of Western sanctions. 

The bigger picture: Both China and Russia have shown significant interest in tapping into Afghanistan’s vast natural resources, particularly its significant deposits of lithium, a critical component for batteries used in electric vehicles and other technologies. Afghanistan is estimated to have one of the largest untapped lithium reserves in the world.