The European Commission has, for the first time, confirmed plans for talks in Brussels with Afghanistan’s de facto Taliban authorities, after Euractiv first reported preparations for a politically sensitive meeting focused on deportations.
The acknowledgment ends weeks of silence from Brussels over plans for a Taliban delegation to visit the Belgian capital before summer, at the invitation of Sweden and the Commission, for discussions on Afghan returns.
A Commission spokesperson told Euractiv on Monday that DG HOME, the EU executive’s migration department, is working with Sweden’s justice ministry on a “potential technical follow-up meeting” with Afghan officials in Brussels.
Until now, the Commission had declined to confirm whether such talks were being prepared. The statement also marks the first official confirmation by Brussels of Sweden’s role in organising a possible Taliban visit to the EU quarter.
The spokesperson declined to say whether invitations had already…
