Afghanistan's Taliban government said on Thursday that Russia had become the first country to officially recognise its rule, calling it a “brave decision”.
However, Afghan women activists condemned the decision, saying that recognising the Taliban − under whom women and girls have seen freedoms curtailed − “will legitimise impunity”.
The Taliban swept back to power in 2021 after toppling the foreign-backed government and have imposed an austere version of Sharia. They have sought official international recognition and investment, as the country recovers from four decades of war − including the Soviet invasion from 1979 to 1989.
The announcement was made after Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met Russia's ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, in Kabul on Thursday.
“This brave decision will be an example for others … now that the process of recognition has started, Russia was ahead of everyone,” Mr Muttaqi said in a video of the meeting on X.
He said it was “a new phase of positive relations, mutual respect and constructive engagement”, the Afghan Foreign Ministry posted on X.
Russia's Foreign Ministry added on Telegram: “We believe that the act of official recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will boost the development of productive bilateral co-operation between our countries in several areas.”
It highlighted potential “commercial and economic” co-operation in “energy, transportation, agriculture and infrastructure”. The ministry said Moscow hoped to continue helping Kabul “reinforce regional security and fight against the threats of terrorism and drug-trafficking”.
Moscow had been taking steps to normalise relations with the Taliban authorities, removing them from a list of “terrorist organisations” in April and accepting a Taliban ambassador in Moscow.
In July 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Taliban “allies in the fight against terrorism”.
Russia was the first country to open a business representative office in Kabul after the Taliban takeover, and it has announced plans to use Afghanistan as a transit hub for gas heading to South-East Asia.
Only Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the UAE recognised the Taliban during their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001. This time several states, including China and Pakistan, have accepted Taliban ambassadors in their capitals, but have not officially recognised the Taliban regime since the end of the group's two-decade war with US-led Nato troops.
There has been limited but growing engagement with the Taliban authorities, particularly from regional neighbours, but also global players China and Russia.
However, restrictions on women and girls, barring them from education and squeezing them from public life, have been key sticking points for western nations. Senior Taliban figures also remain under international sanctions, including by the UN.
A former MP in Kabul, Fawzia Koofi, said any recognition of the Taliban “will not bring peace it will legitimise impunity” and “risk endangering not just the people of Afghanistan, but global security”.
UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Ahmed Raza, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Chirag Suri , Zahoor Khan
How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
Results
6.30pm: The Madjani Stakes (PA) Group 3 Dh175,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Aatebat Al Khalediah, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer).
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Dubai Avenue, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: My Catch, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile (TB) Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Golden Goal, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
MATCH STATS
Wolves 0
Aston Villa 1 (El Ghazi 90 4' pen)
Red cards: Joao Moutinho (Wolves); Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa)
Man of the match: Emi Martinez (Aston Villa)
Fixtures
Friday Leganes v Alaves, 10.15pm; Valencia v Las Palmas, 12.15am
Saturday Celta Vigo v Real Sociedad, 8.15pm; Girona v Atletico Madrid, 10.15pm; Sevilla v Espanyol, 12.15am
Sunday Athletic Bilbao v Getafe, 8.15am; Barcelona v Real Betis, 10.15pm; Deportivo v Real Madrid, 12.15am
Monday Levante v Villarreal, 10.15pm; Malaga v Eibar, midnight
The biog
Favourite book: Men are from Mars Women are from Venus
Favourite travel destination: Ooty, a hill station in South India
Hobbies: Cooking. Biryani, pepper crab are her signature dishes
Favourite place in UAE: Marjan Island
The specs
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Transmission: CVT auto
Power: 181bhp
Torque: 244Nm
Price: Dh122,900
