KABUL (SW) – Top EU diplomat in Afghanistan has shared the international community’s concern regarding human rights situation with the Islamic Emirate.
Tomas Niklasson, Special Envoy of the European Union for Afghanistan, called on Acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi.
“I raised the concerns by the EU and by
@JosepBorrellF in my meetings yesterday together with @EUinAfghanistan with the Taliban appointed acting Foreign Minister Mottaqi and acting Minister of Education Munir”, he tweeted.
He also met with the Islamic Emirate’s education minister, Sheikh Norullah Munir.
“In our meeting I enquired about the opening of secondary schools for girls but although the commitment was repeated there was no indication when this was going to happen”, he tweeted.
He also expressed the EU’s deep concern about the attempt by the Taliban to impose and enforce face covering veils for women (contrary to the culture and tradition in at least large parts of #Afghanistan, he said.
“In our meeting in Kabul, I first of all raised the importance of opening secondary schools for girls, the EU’s concern about Taliban imposed face covering veils for women and the Taliban’s suggestion that the best place for women is at home, although domestic violence is rising”, he tweeted.
The EU Envoy also asked about security concerns by many of Afghanistan’s neighbours and their apparent lack of confidence in the capacity or intent of the Taliban to address these.
“I explained the deep scepticism among many in the EU whether our engagement was meaningful, notably following the Taliban’s failure to deliver on the commitment to the Afghan people to reopen secondary schools, but also my conviction that closing the dialogue was a worse option”, he tweeted.
According to the foreign ministry spokesman, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the Islamic Emirate’s official stressed that no threat would be posed to other countries from Afghanistan’s soil, elaborating on hard-won gains such as ensuring overall security, firm determination to improve the livelihood of the people and other issues of mutual interest.
“To end, the two sides emphasized enhanced cooperation between Afghanistan & the EU leading to improved livelihood of the people in various spheres”, he said in a series of tweets.
ENDS
