The Russian Foreign Ministry announced today, Wednesday, that it has informed the Afghan leadership of its decision to upgrade Afghanistan’s diplomatic representation in Russia to the level of ambassador.

This decision comes in the context of developing the Russian Supreme Court’s ruling on suspending the ban on the Taliban’s activities.

A statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry noted that Russia’s Special Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, and its Ambassador to Kabul, Dmitry Zhirnov, held talks with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, during which the Afghan side was informed of the Russian decision. The move was welcomed and appreciated by Kabul.

For his part, the Afghan Foreign Minister confirmed that his country would soon announce the appointment of its new ambassador to Moscow—a step expected to strengthen bilateral cooperation at a time when Russia is seeking to expand its influence in the region following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Earlier, the Russian Supreme Court had designated the Taliban as a terrorist organization before issuing a ruling to suspend this classification—a move observers interpreted as paving the way for more flexible communication channels with the authorities in Kabul.