EU says has no option but to talk to Taleban

[BRUSSELS] The European Union has no option but to talk to the Taleban in Afghanistan, the bloc's top diplomat said on Tuesday, adding that Brussels would seek to coordinate with EU governments to organise a diplomatic presence in Kabul.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told the European Parliament in Strasbourg: "The Afghan crisis is not over. To have any chance of influencing events, we have no other option but to engage with the Taleban." He added that the EU would stress the importance of human rights.

"Maybe it's a pure oxymoron to talk about human rights, but this is what we have to ask them," he said.

Separately, the Taleban on Tuesday thanked the world for pledging hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency aid to Afghanistan, and urged the United States to show "heart" in future dealings.

Amir Khan Muttaqi, the regime's acting foreign minister, told a press conference that the Taleban would spend donor money wisely and use it to alleviate poverty.

He was speaking a day after the United Nations said a total of US$1.2 billion in aid had been pledged to Afghanistan, which was taken over by the Taleban on Aug 15. "The Islamic Emirate will try its best to deliver this aid to the needy people in a completely transparent manner," Mr Amir Khan said. He also asked Washington to show appreciation for the Taleban allowing the US to complete a troop withdrawal and evacuation of more than 120,000 people last month.

"America is a big country, they need to have a big heart," he said.

REUTERS, AFP