KABUL - The Afghan caretaker government's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has welcomed the decision of the Russian State Duma (lower house of the parliament) toward removing the Taliban from the list of terrorist groups.

The Russian State Duma on Tuesday approved a bill in the first of three required readings to remove the Taliban, the current ruler of Afghanistan, from the list of prohibited groups, Russia's Interfax news agency reported.

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"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan welcomes the decision of the Russian Federation's parliament to approve a proposal aimed at removing the 'Taliban Movement', previously referred to as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, from the list of prohibited organizations in Russia," spokesman for the ministry Abdul Qahar Balkhi said in a statement posted on his X account on Wednesday evening.

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"This step represents a great development and is meant to remove the obstacles in enhancing bilateral relations between Afghanistan and the Russian Federation," the statement added.

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Similarly, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the Afghan caretaker government, told local media that the decision was a significant step in promoting bilateral ties between Afghanistan and Russia.