Taliban have appointed Mawlawi Gul Hassan, their former consul in Quetta, Pakistan, as their new ambassador to Russia, according to reports in Russian state and local media.
The Izvestia newspaper first reported the appointment, citing an announcement from the Taliban-run Afghan embassy in Moscow. State news agency RIA Novosti also confirmed the news on Tuesday, quoting embassy sources as saying, “Our ambassador will be Mawlawi Gul Hassan, and he will arrive soon.”
According to the reports, the Russian Federation has issued formal agrément for the appointment, signaling official acceptance of the Taliban envoy—a move that deepens Moscow’s diplomatic engagement with the group.
Nearly four years after seizing power in Afghanistan, Taliban have remained unrecognized by any country in the world. The international community has asked the Taliban to respect women’s rights as a key route towards possible normalization.
