Russia and Afghanistan have concluded a treaty on military-technical cooperation

Moscow, May 27 – Russia and Afghanistan have signed an agreement on military-technical cooperation, reported an Interfax correspondent. The document was initialed during the International Security Forum being held in the Moscow region.

The signing marks a new stage in bilateral relations between Moscow and Kabul, which have been actively developing in the spheres of security and political dialogue over the past few months.

Kabul: relations with Russia have a "long and historical foundation"

Earlier on Wednesday, during a meeting with the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation "Sergei Shoigu", the Minister of Defense of Afghanistan "Mohammad Yaqoob" emphasized that bilateral contacts between the two countries have expanded.

"Interaction with Russia is of great importance to us. Afghanistan and Russia have long and historical relations, and we want to move forward in this direction. We have expanded bilateral relations," stated Yaqoob.

He highlighted that Kabul views Moscow as a key partner in the security sphere and that the new agreement is a logical continuation of the already existing political dialogue and cooperation.

Shoigu: The West must unfreeze Afghan assets and take responsibility

At the same meeting, "Sergei Shoigu" directed sharp criticism toward Western nations regarding their policy toward Afghanistan. "We are convinced that the countries of the West must unfreeze the blocked Afghan assets, fully acknowledge their entire responsibility for their 20-year presence in Afghanistan, and bear the full burden of the post-conflict reconstruction of the country," he stated.

According to him, the accumulated funds, which remain inaccessible to Afghan authorities, are critically important for stabilizing the socio-economic situation, and the refusal to release them deepens the crisis.

The recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the "pragmatic dialogue" with the Taliban

Already on May 14 in Bishkek, Shoigu stated that Russia has built a dialogue with the Taliban movement and is gradually shaping full-fledged partnership relations. "Russia recognized the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in July 2025 and built a pragmatic dialogue with the Taliban movement. We are consistently imposing a full-fledged partnership – from contacts in the sphere of politics and security to trade-economic and cultural-humanitarian cooperation. We are convinced that interaction with Kabul meets the objectives of security and economic development of the region," he pointed out at a meeting of the secretaries of the security councils of SCO countries.

According to Shoigu, Moscow's engagement with the current Afghan leadership is dictated by the need to prevent the spread of terrorism and drug trafficking, as well as to create conditions for the sustainable development of Central Asia.

This line of "pragmatic dialogue" fits into Russia's general effort to position itself as a key player in the regional security architecture, including through formats such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Focus on strengthening defense, not on threats

In updated information from 14:52, the Afghan side emphasized that the goal of the military-technical cooperation is the strengthening of national defense, and not the creation of a threat to neighboring countries. In Kabul, they clarified that the modernization of the armed forces is viewed as an instrument for stabilizing the internal situation and for fighting radical groups.

Afghan authorities assured that the development of interaction with Russia will not be directed against third parties and that the country remains committed to maintaining good-neighborly relations within the region.