EU faces fierce criticism over talks with Taliban

BRUSSELS

Taliban delegation held talks with the EU in Brussels on June 23 on stepping up the return of failed asylum-seekers to Afghanistan, in an unprecedented visit fiercely criticized by rights advocates.

The European Commission invited a five-person delegation for discussions under a push to crack down on irregular migration and boost deportations — although the European Union does not formally recognise the Taliban administration.

“It is hoped that this visit will open new avenues for positive interaction, strengthen the process of addressing the problems of Afghans living abroad, and further expand the atmosphere of cooperation based on mutual respect and common interests,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi, who led the Taliban mission, said after the talks.

A spokesman for the European Commission said 15 EU member states participated in the “technical level meeting” co-chaired by Sweden, underscoring broad interest for an initiative that critics said flew in the face of the 27-nation bloc’s values.

“This is a shameful chapter for Europe,” said Cecilia Strada, a European lawmaker with the centre-left S&D group. “The commission is legitimising a regime that tramples on the rights of women and girls.”

EU nations and the commission deny that hosting Taliban officials was tantamount to recognising the government in Kabul.

But campaigners said the outreach undermined the bloc’s international standing on human rights and raised questions as to what Brussels was ready to offer Kabul in return for cooperation on migration.