Andrew Korybko
The Taliban, whose flags wave here above the Kabul airport, is nearing a deal with Russia. Image: X Screengrab
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu’s visit to Afghanistan this week aimed to advance Moscow’s “Greater Eurasian Partnership” (GEP), a grand strategic vision to forge new trade routes and institutional partnerships in Asia.
Considered by some as Russia’s version of the US’s “pivot to Asia” policy, Russia has given priority to GRP since the US and wider West imposed unprecedented sanctions on Russia in 2022 after it invaded Ukraine.
Since then, Russia has revived the previously stalled International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) between itself and India via Iran, with branch corridors through Azerbaijan, the Caspian Sea and Central Asia.
It’s also sought a larger regional role for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a Eurasian political, economic and, security and defense organization established by Russia and China in 2001.
These are relevant to Afghanistan as an SCO observer and through its trade with India via the INSTC. Afghanistan is also strategically located at the crossroads of Central, South and West Asia.
Shoigu’s immediate priority is to expand military-technical cooperation with the ruling Taliban so that it can more effectively combat ISIS-K, which has a presence in Afghanistan and an offshoot of which has attacked Russia in the past.
To that end, Shoigu has vowed that Russia will remove the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations, a redesignation that will enable the two sides to better coordinate policies to contain regional security threats like ISIS-K.
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