Gilles Bertrand, the European Union Special Representative for Afghanistan, said he discussed human rights, humanitarian aid, migration, and tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan during his meetings with Taliban officials and others in Kabul.
In a statement, Bertrand said that in all of these meetings he particularly focused on the human rights situation, stressing that the ban on girls’ education beyond grade six is a “major barrier to the normalization of relations.”
He said Afghanistan is the only country where girls are not allowed to study beyond grade six.
Bertrand added that restrictions on women and girls constitute a serious violation of international human rights principles and Afghanistan’s international obligations, and they will have devastating long-term consequences for society and the economy, the impact of which will take generations to repair.
He said he visited Kabul from 17 to 21 April and met with senior Taliban officials, diplomats, representatives of the United Nations and other national and international organizations, as well as civil society activists, to exchange views.
He added that discussions also covered the overall security situation in Afghanistan and the region. Bertrand noted that many interlocutors stressed that public order in Afghanistan has improved in recent years.
The EU special representative and Taliban officials also discussed progress in counter-ISIS efforts. The diplomat expressed the European Union’s concern over the “continued presence and cross-border activities of several terrorist groups with regional and potentially global reach.”
Regarding tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan, he emphasized the importance of restraint, de-escalation, and protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.
The statement added that the European Union calls on both sides to “resume dialogue on their security concerns, including concrete measures to prevent the use of the border region for planning and carrying out terrorist attacks on Pakistani soil.”
