The Russian Foreign Ministry has sent a note to the Afghan Embassy in Moscow officially recognizing diplomat Jamal Nasir Garwal sent by the Taliban  as Afghan Chargé d’Affaires in Russia, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on April 6, according to TASS.

“In February, the first Afghan diplomat arrived in Moscow, who was seconded by the Taliban government.  In March, he received accreditation from the Foreign Ministry and at the end of March, the Afghan Foreign Ministry informed us about the completion of his mission by the Afghan Ambassador to Russia, Said Javad, and the appointment of Jamal Garwal as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Afghanistan in Moscow,” Zakharova said at a briefing.

“Today, April 6, the Russian Foreign Ministry sent a note to the Afghan Embassy on the official recognition of the status of this Afghan diplomat as Afghan Charge d’Affaires in Moscow. We regard this as a step towards the resumption of full-fledged diplomatic contacts,” Zakharova added.

At the same time, she noted that “it is too early to talk about official recognition of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at the end of March that Moscow has accredited the first diplomat from Taliban-led Afghanistan. 

Speaking at a gathering of foreign ministers of nations neighboring Afghanistan on March 31, Lavrov said the Taliban's diplomat was accredited by the Foreign Ministry in Moscow in February and has been active since.