The Russian Foreign Ministry said today that “a decision was made at the highest level” to remove the Taliban from the list of terrorist organizations, state news agency TASS reported.

Several legal procedures will have to be followed for the decision to take effect, President Vladimir Putin’s special representative for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, was quoted as saying.

Putin said in July that Russia considers the Taliban movement in Afghanistan an ally in the fight against terrorism.

Russia has been slowly building relations with the Taliban since they regained power in Afghanistan in August 2021, but the movement continues to be officially outlawed in Russia.

Moscow officially designated the Taliban a terrorist organization in 2003, and removing them from the list of terrorist organizations would be a major step for Moscow to normalize relations with Afghanistan.

Russia has been slowly building relations with the Taliban since they regained power in Afghanistan in August 2021, but the movement continues to be officially outlawed in Russia.

No country has recognized the Taliban as the country’s legitimate leadership, although China and the United Arab Emirates have welcomed their ambassadors.

In separate statements today, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow is convinced of the need to maintain a “realistic dialogue” with the current Afghan government. “It is clear that it is impossible to solve problems or even discuss a settlement in Afghanistan without Kabul,” Lavrov said.

“Moscow will continue on the path of developing political, trade and economic relations with Kabul,” Lavrov said, speaking at a meeting in Moscow with his Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Mutaki and representatives of neighboring countries.

While he did not mention the Taliban by name, he praised Afghanistan’s current leadership for its efforts to reduce drug production and fight Islamic State, which is outlawed in Russia. He said the US should return seized assets to Afghanistan and that the West should accept responsibility for post-conflict reconstruction in the country.

Lavrov also called for an increase in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and said Russia should continue to send it food and supplies.

Russia shares a difficult history with Afghanistan, where the Soviet army invaded in 1979 to support the pro-Moscow government but withdrew 10 years later after suffering heavy casualties from the mujahideen.

Russia and its post-Soviet neighbors have repeatedly been the target of attacks by Islamist groups linked to Afghanistan — most recently in March, when 145 people were killed at a concert hall near Moscow in an attack claimed by Islamic State .