BRUSSELS, Aug 17, 2021 (BSS/AFP) - The European Union's foreign
policy chief Josep Borrell said on Tuesday the bloc will have to talk
to the Taliban after the group seized control of Afghanistan.

  "The Taliban have won the war, so we will have to talk with them,"
he said, while stressing this does not mean moving quickly to
officially recognise their rule.

  Borrell was speaking after an urgent meeting of EU foreign
ministers, called after the rebels overthrew the Afghan government.

  The Taliban, who were driven from power two decades ago by a US-led
coalition only to make a stunning comeback, have promised to pardon
Afghans they consider foes for having worked with the West.

  But the EU, many of whose members are also NATO allies which fought
the group, are concerned about the fate of their citizens in
Afghanistan as well as local Afghan employees.

  They are also worried that the Taliban's brutal reputation and
imposition of Islamist rule could hurt women's rights and trigger a
new wave of migration towards Europe.

  Borrell said Brussels would "engage in a dialogue as soon as
necessary to prevent a humanitarian and a potential migratory
disaster".

  "This dialogue will also have to focus on the means to prevent the
return of a foreign terrorist presence in Afghanistan," he added.

  The Taliban are allies of the al-Qaeda global network and, despite
their promises, Western capitals fear Afghanistan could again become a
haven for extremists bent on attacking them.

  Borrell said that, for these reasons, Europe would need to talk to
Kabul's new masters.

  "It is not a matter of official recognition, it is a matter of
dealing with them," he said.

  "If I want 400 people, Afghans and their families, that have been
working for us today in the European Union delegations, to reach the
airport, you can understand that I will need to talk with the Taliban
authorities.

  "If not, it's going to be quite difficult for them to reach the
airport... It's going to be a quite complicated logistical operation.

  "So we have to engage with them. And at the same time, remain very
vigilant on the respect of their international obligations," he said.