The European Union has no immediate plans to recognize the Taliban after their sweeping victory in Afghanistan but will talk with the militants to ensure that European nationals and Afghans who have worked with the EU can leave safely, the bloc's top diplomat said Tuesday.
Speaking after chairing emergency talks among European foreign ministers, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also underlined the importance of opening talks with the Taliban to help prevent a new exodus of refugees as a humanitarian crisis unfolds in the conflict-ravaged country.
"We have to get in touch with the authorities in Kabul, whoever they are. The Taliban have won the war so we will have to talk with them," Borrell told reporters.
"This dialogue will also have to focus on the means to prevent the return of foreign terrorists."
The EU has even decided to suspend payments of development assistance to the Afghan government now that the Taliban has seized power, but the 27-nation bloc is weighing whether to boost humanitarian aid.
Borrell said there can be "no payments of development assistance until we clarify the situation."
He said the Taliban must respect U.N. Security Council resolutions and human rights to earn access to the funds.
But he said that "humanitarian help will continue, and maybe we will have an increase," given the number of displaced Afghans, the ongoing drought, and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The EU has pledged about 1.2 billion euros ($1.4 billion) in development assistance for 2021-2024.
The ministers agreed that the first priority should be to extract Europeans and Afghans who have helped them over the years.
"We cannot abandon them," Borrell said.
Many in Europe are concerned about an influx of refugees like the mass exodus from Syria in 2015.
Afghans are already among the biggest group seeking sanctuary in Europe, after Syrians.
Some EU estimates suggest that about 570,000 Afghans have applied for asylum over the last six years.
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