KABUL, Afghanistan (AFP) — Afghanistan’s government said on Thursday that Russia had become the first country to officially recognize its rule, calling it a “brave decision.”

The Taliban swept back to power in 2021 after ousting the foreign-backed government and have imposed an austere version of Islamic law.

They have keenly sought official international recognition and investment, as the country recovers from four decades of war, including the Soviet invasion from 1979 to 1989.

The announcement was made after Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with Russia’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, in Kabul on Thursday.

“This brave decision will be an example for others... Now that the process of recognition has started, Russia was ahead of everyone,” Muttaqi said in a video of the meeting on X.

“Russia is the first country which has officially recognized the Islamic Emirate,” Taliban foreign ministry spokesperson Zia Ahmad Takal told Agence France-Presse, using the government’s name for their administration.

Muttaqi said it was “a new phase of positive relations, mutual respect, and constructive engagement,” the foreign ministry posted on X.

Russia’s foreign ministry added on Telegram: “We believe that the act of official recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will boost the development of productive bilateral cooperation between our countries in several areas.”

In July 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Taliban “allies in the fight against terrorism.”

Russia was the first country to open a business representative office in Kabul after the Taliban takeover, and has announced plans to use Afghanistan as a transit hub for gas heading to Southeast Asia.