Russia says it is building ‘full partnership’ with IEA

Russia is moving to establish what it calls a “full-fledged partnership” with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) and is urging other regional countries to expand cooperation with Kabul, a senior Russian security official said.

Sergei Shoigu, who is secretary of Russia’s Security ​Council, was quoted by Interfax as saying that Moscow considers cooperation with Kabul important for regional security and development.

Shoigu said Russia is developing a “pragmatic dialogue” with the IEA authorities that covers security, trade, cultural exchange and humanitarian assistance.

He made the remarks during a meeting with counterparts from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a 10-member regional bloc that includes China, India, Iran, Pakistan and several Central Asian states.

He also suggested reviving the SCO’s contact group on Afghanistan to improve regional coordination on Afghan-related issues.

Shioigu said that Russia considers the return of third-country military infrastructure to Afghanistan or the deployment of new military facilities in neighboring states unacceptable.

“Our fundamental approach is that the United States and its allies must acknowledge full responsibility for their 20-year presence in Afghanistan and assume the main burden of its post-conflict reconstruction,” he said. “We consider the return of third-country military infrastructure to Afghanistan or the deployment of new military facilities in neighboring states unacceptable.”

Russia formally lifted its ban on the IEA in April 2025, removing the group from its list of terrorist organizations after previously outlawing it in 2003.

Moscow has increasingly engaged with the IEA since its takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, following the withdrawal of US-led forces after two decades of war.

Russian officials argue that closer cooperation is necessary due to shared security concerns, including the threat of militant groups operating across a wide region from Afghanistan to the Middle East.