Suhail Shaheen, the head of the Taliban's political office in Qatar, has expressed the group's desire to strengthen relations with Russia.

In an interview with RIA Novosti, published on Saturday, Shaheen remarked that the former Afghan government's close ties with the West made it "impossible to imagine" the same level of cooperation with Russia. He justified his statement by labelling the previous Afghan administration as "pro-American."

While Russia, like most other countries, does not officially recognise the Taliban, it maintains a relationship with the group and has even handed over control of the Afghan embassy in Moscow to the Taliban.

Shaheen proposed that delegations from the Taliban travel to Moscow, and that Russian representatives visit Kabul, as a way to enhance bilateral relations between the two sides.

Previously, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned of ongoing threats emanating from Afghanistan, emphasising the need for a more substantive dialogue with the Taliban on counter-terrorism efforts. In response to Lavrov's comments, the Taliban's Foreign Ministry announced its readiness for "result-oriented dialogue" with all parties on issues of mutual concern.