Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s special presidential envoy for Afghanistan, said Monday that a recently signed military-technical cooperation agreement between Russia and the Taliban is intended to establish a legal framework for future contracts and expanded cooperation.
Speaking to the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, Kabulov described the agreement as a “framework” arrangement that would enable the two sides to conclude additional agreements in the future.
“This agreement has a framework character,” Kabulov said. “This legal framework makes it possible to conclude agreements and contracts in other areas as well.”
He said the agreement would support not only existing cooperation but also potential collaboration involving other military-technical systems.
According to Kabulov, the immediate focus is on the repair and restoration of Soviet- and Russian-made military equipment currently in Afghanistan.
At this stage, he said, the agreement is primarily practical and technical in nature, centered on rehabilitating existing equipment rather than introducing new capabilities.
The agreement was signed on May 27 during a visit to Russia by Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, the Taliban’s defense minister, on the sidelines of an international security forum near Moscow.
The Taliban Defense Ministry has said implementation of the agreement is expected to begin in the coming days, though neither side has released details about its provisions.
The accord has drawn attention because it marks another step in the growing relationship between Moscow and the Taliban, whom Russia has increasingly engaged diplomatically and economically since their return to power in 2021.
After returning from Russia, Mujahid dismissed concerns about the agreement, saying it should not be viewed as directed against any other country.
“The military-technical agreement with Moscow is not against any other country,” he said.
Mujahid also sought to distinguish the accord from a broader security or defense pact, describing it instead as a military-technical arrangement.
He added that other countries would also be welcome to pursue similar agreements with the Taliban administration.
The agreement comes as Russia continues to deepen ties with the Taliban while advocating greater cooperation on regional security, counterterrorism and economic issues. Moscow has maintained that engagement with Taliban is necessary to address regional stability concerns.
