Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, says while Afghanistan is not a top priority for Russia, it remains important for Moscow’s geopolitical interests.

In his latest interview with Russian media, Kabulov stated that establishing normal relations between Moscow and Kabul is essential for Russia’s interests.

He added that Afghanistan is geographically important to Russia and acts as a kind of transit bridge across Eurasia.

“Afghanistan is geographically very beneficial, serving as a sort of transit bridge connecting the Eurasian space, particularly the northern part of it, including Russia to the southern part of the Asian continent,” he said.

The Russian envoy emphasized that without removing the Islamic Emirate from the list of banned groups, it is impossible to create a legal basis for establishing normal relations with the Emirate not only for official security structures of the Russian Federation, but also for Russia’s economic and private business sectors.

“In order for Russia’s economic, governmental, and non-governmental organizations to sign contracts that are legally valid, official recognition is necessary. Additionally, in order to minimize the flow of terrorism and other threats from Afghanistan toward us and our allies, we need authorities who can maintain stable control over the country,” he added.

Kabulov also addressed IEA, stressing that long-term control of Afghanistan through coercive methods is impossible, and that it is essential to address the socio-economic situation and support the country’s development.