Chechen Delegation Meeting With Afghan Taliban ‘Represents the Russian Federation… And Has Come To Afghanistan To Strengthen The Historical And Cultural Ties Between The Two Countries’

In the first week of January 2025, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA, i.e., the Afghan Taliban) welcomed a delegation from the Republic of Chechnya. The delegation was led by Jambulat Umarov, head of the Academy of Sciences of the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation.

Zelimkhan Abdulmuslimovich Yandarbiyev, a Chechen writer and politician who served as second president of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria between 1996 and 1997, visited Kabul at that time at the invitation of Mullah Mohammad Omar, then emir of the Islamic Emirate. Mullah Omar’s regime (1996-2001) had recognized the Islamist government of Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, making it one of the few states, along with Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, that the Taliban recognized at the time.

According to a Pashtu-language statement published by the Afghan Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture on January 6, 2025, the Chechen delegation led by Jambulat Umarov included the deputy chairman of the Council of Nationalities of Russia.[1] The delegation, led by Jambulat Umarov and his deputy Nisar Fareed Ahmadzai, arrived in Afghanistan as “official representatives” of the president of Chechnya and the Russian Federation.[2] The delegation held a series of meetings with Afghan Taliban ministers and officials, including then Taliban Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs Mullah Abdul Kabir, who has since been replaced, and the Minister of Information and Culture Mullah Khairullah Khairkhwah, among others.

During his meeting with Mullah Khairullah Khairkhwah, Jambulat Umarov “described the Muslims of the world as members of one family” and added that the delegation “represents the Russian Federation as a member of your family and has come to Afghanistan to strengthen the historical and cultural ties between the two countries.”[3] The Chechen leader said during the meeting that Russia and the Chechen Republic are ready to cooperate with the Afghan people in sharing and learning experiences in various fields. He also emphasized the need for “introducing authentic Islamic culture to the world and stated that this effort can counter baseless propaganda about Islam and present the true image of Islam to the world.”[4]

Mullah Khairullah Khairkhwah, speaking on behalf the Taliban government, welcomed the delegation and endorsed Jambulat Umarov’s remarks, describing Islam as a religion of brotherhood and friendship, and added that Islam serves as a point of connection, strength, and unity for Muslims around the world. According to the report, Mullah Khairullah Khairkhwah stated: “Afghanistan, after 45 years, now enjoys security across the entire country and has achieved significant progress and accomplishments in various fields. However, building a stable and developed Afghanistan still requires more time.”[5]

Mullah Khairullah Khairkhwah, the Taliban minister, told the Chechen delegation that an excellent opportunity has now arisen to strengthen ties between Afghanistan and the Russian Federation, and over time, these ties can be further expanded. “It is our responsibility to introduce our authentic culture to nations to foster the development of cultural ties between the two countries,” he said, adding that the Chechen delegation’s visit to Afghanistan was a positive step and a good beginning in strengthening relations between the two countries.[6]

It seems the Chechen delegation’s main meeting was with Mullah Khairullah Khairkhwah. However, it also held meetings with the senior Taliban leaders. On January 9, the Presidential Palace (Arg) of Afghanistan published a statement, saying that Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister for Political Affairs, had met with the visiting delegation.

During the meeting with Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, Jambulat Umarov highlighted the importance of strengthening Russia-Afghan relations in science, religion, culture, and economic areas. Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, in his welcoming remarks, mentioned that Islamic countries share common interests with Afghanistan in the fields of religion, culture, and society, and said he was hopeful that these commonalities would be developed based on mutual relations.[7] Russia has played significant role in building infrastructure in Afghanistan, he said and expressed hope that Moscow will play a significant role in Afghanistan’s reconstruction.[8]

The deputy prime minister also emphasized, according to the report, that the IEA considers its security and stability to be intertwined with regional security and views its national interests in the security of the region, and therefore “the Islamic Emirate seeks cooperation with countries in the region and around the world but will never compromise on its Islamic and national values.”[9]

In a Pashtu-language tweet, Khubaib Ghufran, the spokesperson for the Afghan Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture, said the delegation from the Chechen Republic visited the Directorate of Public Libraries in Kabul. The Director of Public Libraries, Hafiz Nematullah Muntazir, met with Jambulat Umarov and his accompanying delegation. Hafiz Nematullah Muntazir provided the visiting Chechen delegation with information about the history, activities, and achievements of the public libraries. According to the report, Jambulat Umarov expressed his gratitude to the Directorate of Public Libraries for their hospitality and emphasized the historical and strong relations between the two countries.[10]

[1] X, January 6, 2025.

[2] X, January 9, 2025.

[3] X, January 6, 2025.

[4] X, January 6, 2025.

[5] X, January 6, 2025.

[6] X, January 6, 2025.

[7] X, January 9, 2025.

[8] X, January 9, 2025.

[9] X, January 9, 2025.

[10] X, January 8, 2025.