The Taliban’s ambassador to Russia has said that some countries support Afghanistan’s participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), arguing that the Taliban authorities should be allowed to attend the bloc’s meetings because Afghanistan holds observer status.
Speaking to Russia’s state news agency TASS, Gul Hassan Hassan said Afghanistan’s current status entitled it to take part in SCO discussions.
“Yes, Afghanistan is an observer country in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and according to this status, it should participate in its meetings,” Hassan said in his first interview since assuming his post.
The Taliban have sought broader international engagement since returning to power in August 2021, after the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces from Afghanistan.
Russia is the only country to have formally recognized the Taliban administration. The group has repeatedly described China and Russia as its strategic partners.
Political analysts say engagement by some countries, including Moscow and Beijing, has been shaped by regional security concerns and wider geopolitical competition, despite international criticism of the Taliban’s domestic policies.
Human rights groups have criticised continued engagement with the Taliban, warning that diplomatic and economic ties risk sidelining concerns over restrictions on women’s rights and other civil liberties imposed since the group returned to power.
Afghanistan was granted observer status in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation under the former Western-backed government. The SCO, founded in 2001, focuses on regional security and economic cooperation, with China and Russia among its leading members.
Other SCO members, including Pakistan and Tajikistan, have repeatedly voiced concerns about security threats emanating from Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover.
