Afghan delegation to travel to first talks with EU in June

An Afghan delegation will travel to Brussels for the first talks with the European Union in June, led by Foreign Ministry official Abdul Kahar Balkhi.

This was reported by the Euractiv portal, citing unnamed EU officials.

According to the portal, Balkhi is one of the government officials formed by the Taliban movement who is most actively involved in international activities. Since the Taliban came to power in 2021, he has often, on behalf of the movement, maintained contacts with foreign media and international interlocutors on various issues, including sanctions, migration, and humanitarian aid, notes Euractiv.

The meeting is planned to take place in Brussels on a "neutral site" and will be attended by representatives of the European Commission, the EU External Action Service, and authorities of individual countries. Sources of the portal in the European Union insist that the invitation of the Taliban does not mean their recognition.

Earlier, as the portal reports, a European Commission representative confirmed that an invitation to the meeting was sent to the "de facto authorities of Afghanistan." The European Commission in the letter asks about the "possibility of holding a meeting at a technical level in Brussels." The meeting should be devoted to the issue of deportation of Afghan migrants who, according to the European Commission, "do not have the right to stay in the EU and pose a security threat."