Dhaka, July 4 -- Russia on Thursday became the first nation to officially recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan since the group took control in 2021, following Moscow's decision to remove the Taliban from its list of banned organizations.

The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed it had accepted the credentials of Afghanistan's newly appointed Ambassador, Gul Hassan Hassan. In a statement, the ministry said this formal recognition would help promote "productive bilateral cooperation."

Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry described the move as historic, quoting Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who welcomed the decision as "a good example for other countries."

The Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in August 2021 after U.S...