Macron: Europe To Open Joint Diplomatic Mission In Afghanistan

French President Emmanuel Macron. (Wikimedia Commons/Jacques Paquier)

JAKARTA - A number of European countries will open a joint diplomatic mission in Afghanistan, said French President Emmanuel Macron.

With this mission, ambassadors from those countries could return to work in Afghanistan.

The West has long sought ways to engage with the Taliban after the group took power in Afghanistan in August when US and allied forces withdrew from the country.

The US and other Western countries have closed their embassies and withdrawn diplomats since the Taliban occupied Kabul.

The Taliban then formed an interim government filled with a number of top brass who were subject to US and UN sanctions.

"We are planning an organization among several European countries... a commonplace for several Europeans, which will allow our ambassadors to be present (in Afghanistan)," Macron told reporters in Doha before flying to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The US, European countries, and others are reluctant to formally recognize the Pashtun-dominated Taliban government.

They accuse the group of reneging on promises to form a government that is politically and ethnically inclusive, and upholds the rights of women and minorities.

"This step is different from political recognition or political dialogue with the Taliban ... we will have representation as soon as we open (the mission)," Macron said.

He added that European countries still need to resolve issues related to security.

In a statement following talks with the Taliban last week, the European Union (EU) indicated it would open a diplomatic mission soon.

"The EU delegation emphasized that the possibility of a minimal presence in Kabul, which does not require recognition (of the Taliban), will depend directly on the security situation, as well as on the effective decision of the de facto authorities to allow the EU and ensure adequate protection for its staff and premises," wrote the statement.

France on Friday said it had carried out an evacuation mission in Afghanistan with Qatari help to get more than 300 people, mostly Afghans, out of the country.