On May 27-28, 2024, a delegation of the Academy of Sciences of Afghanistan, headed by Vice-President Moulawi Rozi Mohammad Rashid, visited Moscow at the invitation of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (OIS RAS). This is the first visit of Afghan scientists to Russia after the Taliban came to power in August 2021.

According to Rozi Mohammad Rashid, in Kabul the invitation of the delegation of Afghan scientists to the Russian capital was regarded as yet another confirmation of the seriousness of the Russian leadership’s intentions to change their policy vis-à-vis Afghanistan. Also, he said that Afghanistan highly appreciates the proposal of the Russian MFA and Ministry of Justice addressed to President Vladimir Putin to consider the possibility of excluding the Taliban from the list of banned organisations.

The reality is such that, at the moment, the power in the centre and on the ground is in the hands of the Taliban. The government they formed, and the local authorities, are trying to restore order in a country that has been at war for several decades. Some success has been achieved in the fight against opium poppy cultivation in the country, the fight against corruption has begun, and tax collection has been streamlined. Yes, it is true that the Taliban have a long way to go yet, but the most important thing is the desire of Afghans to live the way they want without outside dictation.

Unfortunately – and this was emphasised by members of the delegation of the Academy of Sciences of Afghanistan at a meeting with scientists of the IOS RAS – there are external forces that are dissatisfied with this. They are the ones behind the recent events in Bamiyan, as a result of........

© New Eastern Outlook