EU hosts Taliban officials for the first time in talks on deportations

The Taliban government is not recognised by any European country, despite the meeting in Brussels with EU officials.A Taliban delegation has held talks with the European Union in Brussels for the first time, in a visit fiercely criticised by rights activists.The meeting on Tuesday focused on diplomatic services and providing “dignified returns” for Afghans in Europe, a Taliban official said. Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a spokesperson for the Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called the visit “historic,” noting it was the first time a delegation from the Afghan government had held talks with the European Commission and EU nations in Brussels.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Geneva to host Iran-US deal event: What other pacts have been signed there?list 2 of 4Afghanistan strikes targets in Pakistan, raising cross-border tensionlist 3 of 4Two roadside bombs kill at least seven in northwestern Pakistanlist 4 of 4EU to hold migration meeting with Taliban officials in Brusselsend of listThe EU and its member countries have not recognised the Taliban government since the group returned to power in 2021 after 20 years of war against ⁠a US-backed government.Brussels has said its decision to hold limited talks with Afghanistan’s “de facto authorities” are necessary to deport asylum seekers who commit crimes or are deemed dangerous.A spokesperson for the European Commission said that EU officials and 15 EU member states attended the Brussels meeting at an undisclosed location as a follow-up to a previous meeting held in Kabul in January.“The Commission services and Sweden co-chaired a technical-level meeting today in Brussels with technical-level representatives of the de facto authorities of Afghanistan responsible for return and readmission,” the spokesperson said.A spokesman for Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry described a broader agenda, saying it included a possible consular presence in the EU, resumption of consular services for Afghans there, and “the need for trust-building measures”.