EU countries consider opening embassies in Afghanistan and recognizing Taliban - Bloomberg

EU countries consider opening embassies in Afghanistan and recognizing Taliban - Bloomberg

Kyiv  •  UNN

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Some European countries are considering reopening their embassies in Afghanistan, which would mean diplomatic recognition of the Taliban almost three years after the fall of the previous government.

Several European countries are considering reopening their embassies in Afghanistan, which would mean diplomatic recognition of the Taliban almost three years after the fall of the previous government. Bloomberg writes about it citing its own sources, UNN reports.

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The newspaper notes that Italian diplomats and intelligence services have been on a mission to Kabul over the past few weeks. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani confirmed that the Roman ambassador, who is currently in Qatar, also visited Kabul.

We are working on it. Our ambassador has fulfilled his mission. There are problems with human rights. The solution is very complex, it will take time

- He said in an interview on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington last week.

However, French, German and British officials have said there are no immediate plans to reopen their missions in Kabul. There is currently no European embassy in the country.

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At the same time, a senior European diplomat said that officials in Brussels have changed their minds about the need for a physical presence in the country to implement development projects, protect women's rights, and establish a strategic presence.

In Germany, the authorities are publicly discussing how to return Afghan asylum seekers who have committed crimes or are convicted terrorists. Currently, such persons cannot be deported back to the country, as Germany does not have diplomatic relations with the Taliban regime.

The French official confirmed that there are currently no plans to reopen the embassy, but said that the issue would be considered over time. The current situation with zero presence on the ground cannot be maintained indefinitely, he added.

The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office has stated that it will "consider establishing a diplomatic presence in Afghanistan as soon as the security and political situation permits".

A senior U.S. administration official said that the United States has no intention of politically recognizing the Taliban or reopening its embassy in Kabul. The official added that the U.S. has made it clear to the Taliban that there are still issues - primarily the fair treatment of women and girls - that prevent them from moving in this direction.

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Western countries, including the United States, left Afghanistan after a hasty evacuation of citizens and security personnel in 2021, when Kabul fell to the Taliban, who had been leading an insurgency for decades after losing power in 2001. The Watson Institute at Brown University estimates that at least 70,000 civilians died in the war.

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