Taliban envoy Balkhi heads to Brussels for EU migration discussions

A delegation led by Taliban foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi is expected to visit Brussels in June for talks on migration and Afghan deportations, pan-European media say.

The visit would mark a rare high-level engagement between the Taliban administration and European officials since the Islamist group returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.

According to officials familiar with the preparations, the talks are expected to focus on technical issues related to migration and returns of Afghan nationals from Europe, 

The meetings are planned to involve officials from the European Commission, the European External Action Service and several EU member states.

The Commission confirmed it had sent an invitation letter to Afghanistan’s “de-facto” authorities. A spokesperson said the invitation was issued jointly by the Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs and Sweden’s justice ministry.

Officials said the discussions would remain strictly technical and would not amount to formal political recognition of the Taliban government. The meetings are expected to be held at a neutral venue in Brussels, such as a hotel or conference centre, rather than at official EU institutions.

Balkhi, who heads communications at Afghanistan’s foreign ministry, has been one of the Taliban administration’s most internationally visible officials, frequently engaging with foreign governments and media on sanctions, humanitarian aid and migration issues.

By Aghakazim Guliyev