EU Plans First Official Brussels Talks With Taliban

The European Union is preparing to hold its first official talks with representatives of the Afghan Taliban in Brussels, with the possible return of some Afghan migrants from Europe to Afghanistan expected to be a key topic.

An EU spokesman said the meeting was being prepared at the request of several member states and coordinated by Sweden. No exact date has yet been set. Brussels has stressed that the planned talks do not amount to diplomatic recognition of the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate government.

The Taliban seized power in Kabul almost five years ago after the withdrawal of US and NATO-allied forces. Since then, most Western countries have maintained only limited technical contacts with the Islamist movement and have refused to grant it official recognition, mainly because of its human rights abuses and the status of women in Afghanistan.

The EU sent representatives to Kabul in January for technical talks. It now wants to continue the discussions directly in Brussels.

The return of migrants who have committed criminal offenses or are considered a security risk remains a practical problem for several European states. Without diplomatic relations with the Taliban, the repatriation of Afghans remains complicated.

(reuters, max)