UN Rapporteur Raises Concerns Over EU Talks With Taliban

According to a statement from the Taliban foreign ministry on Wednesday, Gilles Bertrand, the EU special envoy for Afghanistan, met Mohammad Naeem, the Taliban's deputy foreign minister, to discuss political, economic and trade ties, as well as long-term cooperation.

The European Union has not yet commented on the visit.

The Taliban said both sides also discussed efforts to expand Afghan exports to European markets.

The Taliban's deputy foreign minister thanked the EU for humanitarian assistance and called for increased aid, saying directing support towards sustainable development could help address public needs and create jobs.

According to the statement, he stressed relations based on mutual respect and said dialogue and diplomacy are the best ways to resolve issues.

The ministry quoted Bertrand as saying diplomacy and dialogue are a reasonable path forward and emphasising continued cooperation with Afghanistan.

The visit comes as EU sources told AFP that a “technical” team from the Taliban is expected to travel to Brussels for talks with member states.

The EU is working on plans to return individuals without legal residence status to Afghanistan, despite concerns from human rights groups and the UN refugee agency. Bertrand also visited Kabul last year and has met Taliban officials on previous occasions. This marks his third trip to Afghanistan.

Sources told Afghanistan International that the strikes occurred at around 11:30pm local time. The Taliban have not yet commented.

Earlier, Pakistani forces also targeted the villages of Kochi, Shahbaz and Koremar in Kunar with artillery fire.

Local residents say repeated attacks have forced people in these areas to flee their homes and seek safety in more secure locations.

Similar incidents have been reported in Paktika province, where Pakistani forces have shelled areas from across the border.

Residents of border districts have repeatedly complained about rocket attacks and mortar fire by Pakistani forces.

The continued strikes have raised concerns among communities in Kunar and Paktika, with many families forced into displacement due to security threats.

Local sources warn that if such attacks persist, they could trigger a new humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan’s border area.

In an interview with Der Spiegel, Hamid Karzai stressed that people, regardless of ethnicity or ideology, should feel a sense of belonging and have both the right and responsibility to determine their country’s future.

He reiterated the importance of equal rights for all citizens in shaping Afghanistan’s future.

Asked why no organised resistance has emerged against the Taliban, Karzai said: “No one wants Afghanistan to descend into chaos again. But the Afghans certainly want girls’ education, women’s rights and a government based on the will of the people.”

Karzai acknowledged internal differences within the Taliban, saying such divisions can exist in any government. He added that Afghanistan needs economic growth, which requires inclusive participation and a stable political system.

Emphasising the need for intra-Afghan dialogue, he said the country can only progress if the Taliban and other Afghans work together to build a better future.

He also noted that the Taliban are part of Afghanistan, and that the country needs broad participation, a shared national identity and protection of citizens’ rights.

Karzai has previously voiced concern over the lack of an inclusive government and the closure of political space in Afghanistan. In this interview, he more explicitly highlighted the principle of equal citizenship, inclusive participation and the people’s right to determine the country’s future.

Danish made the remarks on Tuesday in response to comments by Anwar-ul-Haq Ahady, who had described federalism as a major disaster and backed a centralised system based on civic nationalism.

Rejecting Ahadi’s view as unrealistic, Danish said federalism is both feasible and long discussed in Afghanistan’s academic and political circles, supported by historical and analytical research.

He argued that such a system could offer an effective framework for managing ethnic diversity and distributing power more equitably.

Addressing concerns about the cost of a federal bureaucracy, Danish said justice, broader public participation and reduced ethnic tensions outweigh administrative expenses. He added that without such a system, internal conflicts could impose far greater costs.

Referring to smaller and medium-sized countries with federal systems, he dismissed claims that federalism is unsuitable for Afghanistan, saying it could be implemented while preserving national unity.

Danish concluded that federalism is a tool to promote justice and reduce ethnic divides, not deepen them, and described opposing views as rooted in traditional “ethnic nationalism”, which he said has failed to build a nation in Afghanistan, even if relabelled as civic nationalism.

Sergei Lavrov made the remarks on Monday, April 20, at a meeting of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly Council, referring to instability in Afghanistan, the Gulf crisis and rising tensions across the Middle East.

He also pointed to a deadlock in efforts to establish a Palestinian state, saying continued conflict and Israeli policies have reduced prospects for statehood and worsened conditions in Gaza and the West Bank.

Russia is the only country to have formally recognised the Taliban administration. Moscow has repeatedly warned about the consequences of instability in Afghanistan.

Russian officials have previously described Afghanistan as a regional threat, with the foreign ministry cautioning that the presence of extra-regional military actors could trigger further conflict in the country.