Russia and Afghanistan have signed an agreement on military-technical cooperation. The signing ceremony took place as part of the International Security Forum, being held in the Moscow oblast from May 26-29.
Interfax reports the Taliban government’s Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob, during a meeting with Russia’s Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu on May 27, stated that Kabul and Moscow continue to strengthen bilateral ties. According to him, cooperation with Russia is of particular importance to Afghanistan, and the relations between the countries have a long history.
In turn, Sergey Shoigu reportedly emphasized that Western countries should unblock Afghan assets and take responsibility for the country’s reconstruction after twenty years of presence in Afghanistan.
The details of the signed agreement are not officially disclosed. As Important Stories note, such agreements usually provide for the exchange of weapons, military technologies, licenses, and joint developments.
Earlier, on May 14, at a meeting of the security council secretaries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member countries in Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek, Shoigu stated that Russia is building pragmatic cooperation with the Taliban movement and is developing a partnership with Kabul in the areas of politics, security, economy, and humanitarian interaction.
According to Shoigu, Moscow believes that the development of relations with Afghanistan is in the interests of the region’s security and economic development.
As it had been reported earlier, Russia in April 2025 officially removed the Taliban movement from the list of terrorist organizations and has intensified efforts to establish partnership relations with the Afghan authorities in the areas of trade, culture, and security.
