The Taliban’s Minister of Energy and Water has expressed gratitude to Russia for removing the group from its list of terrorist organisations and has called on Russian investors to participate in major infrastructure projects in Afghanistan.

In a statement released on Monday, the Ministry of Energy and Water announced that Abdul Latif Mansoor, the Taliban-appointed minister, met with Dmitry Zhirnov, Russia’s ambassador to Kabul. During the meeting, Mansoor invited Russian state and private companies to invest in Afghanistan’s water and energy sectors.

Key projects highlighted included the transfer of water from Panjshir to Kabul, the construction of dams in the provinces of Takhar, Baghlan, Herat, and Ghazni, as well as electricity generation from coal, wind, solar, and gas resources.

The minister thanked the Russian government for its recent decision to remove the Taliban from the list of banned organisations, a move he said would enhance economic and trade relations between Kabul and Moscow.

This follows a ruling by Russia’s Supreme Court, which officially delisted the Taliban as a terrorist organisation. The Taliban has welcomed the decision, describing it as a step forward in strengthening bilateral ties.

Ambassador Zhirnov, in turn, extended an official invitation to Mansoor to attend the upcoming Kazan Economic Forum, scheduled for May this year. The Taliban minister accepted the invitation and confirmed his attendance.