In a meeting on Monday in Kabul with Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Russia’s Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said Moscow will remove the Islamic Emirate from its blacklist in order to boost political and economic ties between the two countries.

According to a statement issued by Baradar’s office, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) name will be removed from the list in the near future.

In addition, the visiting delegation, headed by Shoigu, also voiced support for the planned Trans-Afghan railway project, that aims to improve trade and transportation between Central and South Asia.

The project includes the Trans-Afghan Corridor, a $4.8 billion railway project that connects Afghanistan and Uzbekistan to Pakistani ports.

Shoigu meanwhile also expressed readiness to commence practical economic cooperation, especially following agreements made during the Saint Petersburg Economic Forum in June this year.

The delegation further noted that Russian investors and state-owned companies are keen to invest in Afghanistan in areas such as mining, transportation, and agriculture.

Monday’s meeting was also attended by Nooruddin Azizi, Minister of Industry and Commerce; Qari Din Mohammad Hanif, Minister of Economy; Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk; Zamir Kabulov, the Russian President’s Special Representative for Afghanistan; and several other officials from both countries.

During the meeting, discussions focused on strengthening political relations, enhancing economic cooperation, increasing trade and transit activities, and encouraging Russian investments in Afghanistan.

Baradar in turn emphasized the IEA’s foreign policy and that it centered on economic priorities.

He stated that with the restoration of security and stability in Afghanistan, the country has become a hub for economic cooperation, trade, and transit in the region, benefiting not only Afghanistan but also the surrounding region.

He added that the IEA is striving to ensure the country’s security and economic growth.

To this end, it has banned the cultivation of narcotics and eliminated groups that harm Afghanistan’s and the region’s security and economy.

He said raising the level of formal relations between the two countries would create numerous opportunities for tangible progress in the economic sector.

He also stated that the IEA would play a positive role as a responsible economic partner in the region.

Both sides also stressed the need for the creation of a joint governmental commission to foster extensive cooperation in trade, transit, and investment. Under this commission, various subcommittees would also be established to work on specific areas.

The Ministry of Information and Culture announced this week it has established a new administrative office called the Directorate for the Preservation of Jihadi Values.

Acting Minister of Information and Culture Khairullah Khairkhwa said this directorate is tasked with “keeping alive the values of jihad and its history.”

Khairkhwa outlined the directorate’s three main functions: producing audio-visual content, establishing a “jihadi museum,” and documenting historical events.

He stated the museum would collect and archive artifacts from Afghanistan’s conflicts with Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States.

He stressed that jihadi museums will also be built in the capital, and in provinces, to collect and display works related to jihad.

Imangali Tasmagambetov, the Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), has said the plan to strengthen the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan will be approved later this month.

In an interview with STV Belarus, Tasmagambetov said: "The Collective Security Treaty Organization will approve the plan to strengthen the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan on November 28 at a meeting in Astana."

He stated that the presence of militant groups in Afghanistan was a serious problem and that the approval of the plan to strengthen Tajikistan's border with Afghanistan will allow member countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization to jointly guarantee the security of Central Asian countries.

The CSTO has on a number of occasions expressed concern about the security situation in Afghanistan.

The Islamic Emirate however, has repeatedly rejected claims of militant groups in Afghanistan and has said that the IEA will not allow any group to plan or carry out attacks from Afghanistan soil.

Tasmagambetov also discussed other challenges the organization faces.

“The CSTO is not an aggressive bloc. The task of the Collective Security Treaty Organization is to protect the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of the member states that are part of our organization.

“If we talk directly about the challenges and threats, these are primarily transnational terrorism, religious extremism, drug trafficking, illegal arms trafficking and illegal migration. We are working very seriously in all these areas,” he said.