Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

Taliban Expected to Meet with EU Representatives


Tue 12 Oct 2021 | 12:17 AM
Ahmad El-Assasy

The Taliban are expected to hold talks with EU representatives in the Qatari capital of Doha on Tuesday.

"Tomorrow we are meeting the EU representatives, We are having positive meetings with representatives of other countries," Taliban acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said Monday.

"We want positive relationships with the whole world. We believe in balanced international relations. We believe such a balanced relationship can save Afghanistan from instability," he continued.

EU spokesperson Nabila Massrali said the talks "are an informal exchange at technical level. It does not constitute recognition of the 'interim government." She said the two sides will discuss access to humanitarian aid and women's rights, among other issues. US envoys are also expected to be present at the talks.

Separately, the leaders of the G20 group of nations were also holding a virtual conference addressing the deteriorating situation in the country. As part of that summit, the EU promised €1 billion in emergency aid to Afghanistan to prevent what European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called "humanitarian and socio-economic collapse."

Von der Leyen emphasized the need to work "fast," saying, "we have been clear about our conditions for any engagement with the Afghan authorities, including on the respect of human rights. So far, the reports speak for themselves. But the Afghan people should not pay the price of the Taliban's actions.