France, Europeans working to open missions in Afghanistan: Macron | Stories

The French president says the opening of a coalition is in the pipeline, but has not been recognized by the Taliban.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday that several European countries were considering opening a joint venture in Afghanistan but stressed that it did not mean recognizing Taliban rulers in the country.

Western nations have been embroiled in controversy over their alliance with the Taliban, who invaded Afghanistan in August and the US-led offensive after fleeing 20 years of war.

“We are thinking of an organization between several European countries …

“This is a different approach than political awareness or political dialogue with the Taliban … we will have a representation as soon as it opens,” he said.

The French president also said that this would not be a sign of political recognition or dialogue with the Taliban.

In a statement to the Taliban last week, the European Union said it could begin operations soon.

“The EU delegation stressed that the possibility of setting up a small facility in Kabul, which is unimaginable, will depend on the security situation, as well as the appropriate decision of the authorities to allow the EU to ensure adequate security for workers and their facilities,” it said.

‘Unrecognizable’

Rob McBride of Al Jazeera of Kabul said in view of the worsening situation in Afghanistan, the Taliban should “receive whatever means they can”.

“This is not known, the people of Afghanistan understand this. But the interesting thing is that as a member of the European Union France seems to be just building an office …

Meanwhile, Macron also praised Qatar’s role in helping to expel European citizens from Afghanistan following the return of the Taliban to power after the collapse of the West-backed government.

Afghanistan’s new dictatorship has called on countries to seek legal recognition and sanctions, as it seeks to revive the country’s economy, which has been cut off from international financial institutions. The country’s infrastructure had already been disrupted by years of wars and the confiscation of US-led weapons.

The US has suspended about $ 10bn in central banks in Afghanistan and international financial institutions have set aside development funds in the country, setting up aid-dependent economies and leaving financial experts and aid groups to warn of humanitarian risks.

As winter approaches, aid agencies warn of a humanitarian crisis. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has this week announced the “economic crisis” in Afghanistan for the next 13 months.

In Afghanistan, more than 24 million people are in need of life-saving assistance, a sharp increase in political unrest, economic stagnation, and food shortages.

UNDP estimates that poverty will increase worldwide by 2022.