Brussels: The EU will only work with the Taliban if they respect fundamental rights, including women, and prevent the use of the Afghanistan region by terrorists, said the head of the foreign policy on Tuesday.
Josep Borrell described the EU attitude in a statement after the EU-EU Foreign Minister’s Emergency Meeting to discuss the fast foreclosure of the Taliban from the Capital of Afghanistan Kabul.
“I haven’t said that we will recognize the Taliban,” Borrell said at a press conference.
“I just said that we have to talk to them for everything, even to try to protect women and women.
Even for that, you must contact them.” Taliban, in the briefing of their first official news since the confiscation of Kabul, said they wanted a peaceful relationship with other countries and would respect the rights of women in the framework of Islamic law.
Their announcement, short in detail but suggested a softer line than during their rules 20 years ago, was made as the United States and Western allies evacuating diplomats and civilians a day after the scene of chaos at Kabul airport when Afghanistan resembled an airport.
Borrell said the UE priority was to evacuate the EU staff and Afghan helpers from Kabul.
He placed the number of locals who had worked for the EU at almost 400, including their families.
Spain has offered to act as the center to accept these people before they were sent to EU countries that had offered them to take refuge, he said.
Humanitarian assistance for Afghans must be maintained and even increases, but help will only go to the Afghan government if the condition is fulfilled, said Borrell.
Starting a dialogue is immediately needed to avoid the potential of migration and humanitarian crisis, he added.
“We must relate to the authorities in Kabul, the Taliban have won the war, so we have to talk to them.” Borrell ranks fell kabul to the Taliban, the most important geopolitic event since the Crimean Russian invasion in 2014.
“This will have an impact on the geopolitical balance of the world,” he said, which means EU must work closer to countries such as Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Russia and China.