EU hosts Taliban officials for the first time in talks on deportations
Key takeaways
- The Taliban government is not recognised by any European country, despite the meeting in Brussels with EU officials.
- The meeting on Tuesday focused on diplomatic services and providing “dignified returns” for Afghans in Europe, a Taliban official said.
- The 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.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The Taliban government is not recognised by any European country, despite the meeting in Brussels with EU officials.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Amnesty International activists hold a banner reading "Shame" in front the EU Commission headquarters to protest against a meeting with a Taliban delegation in Brussels on June 23, 2026 [AFP]By AFP, AP and Reuters Published On 23 Jun 202623 Jun 2026A 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.