Duma votes in favour of lifting ban on IEA

KABUL (Pajhwok): Russian parliament has voted in favour of a law that makes it possible to remove the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) from its list of banned organisations.

Parliament's lower house, the Duma, approved the bill in the first of three required readings, Interfax news agency reported.

Russia has been gradually building ties with the interim Afghan government, which President Vladimir Putin hailed in July as an ally in fighting terrorism.

The Duma has approved this bill two weeks after a high-level Russian delegation -- led by Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu, visited Kabul and met senior IEA officials.

During Shoigu's visit to Kabul, senior officials of the IEA urged Moscow to ensure Afghanistan's meaningful participation in all regional meetings.

So far, no country has recognised the caretaker government but this year, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan removed the name "Taliban" from the list of banned outfits.

Russia placed IEA on the list of outlawed organisations in 2003, but over the past three and half years, it has cited close relations with Afghanistan, keeping its embassy in Kabul open.

sa/mud