EU Special Envoy Makes First Visit To Kabul Since Appointment
Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister, met Wednesday with Gilles Bertrand, the European Union’s special envoy for Afghanistan, to discuss drug cultivation and trafficking, as well as the return of Afghan refugees.
Bertrand said that supporting Afghan women and girls remains a top priority for him.
The meeting marked the envoy’s first visit to Kabul since his appointment. The EU delegation in Kabul has not yet commented publicly on Bertrand’s trip.
In a statement, the Taliban prime minister’s office said Hanafi thanked the European Union for its assistance to Afghanistan and Afghan refugees.
According to the statement, Hanafi told the EU envoy that the Taliban seeks to maintain positive relations with countries in the region and beyond.
The European Union appointed Bertrand, a French diplomat, as its new special envoy for Afghanistan earlier this month. He is a veteran EU diplomat with prior experience working in Afghanistan.
