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Politics extremely important, but economy also needs to function: EU’s Afghanistan envoy
Politics is extremely important, but the economy also needs to function, the EU’s special representative to Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson, has said.
Speaking in an interview with Ariana News on Thursday, Niklasson said that people struggle hard to survive and there is great uncertainty about the economic future.
He said that the interim government in Afghanistan needs to get the economy going.
“It needs to attract foreign investment and for that there is need for legal certainty. There is also need for the central bank to be fully independent which would allow gradually the banking system to re-establish itself and get functioning,” Niklasson said.
The diplomat said that the conflict has ended in Afghanistan and Afghans welcome that. “But the future of the interim government and the future of Afghanistan will depend on a dialogue, will depend on inclusive form of governance and will depend on respect for human rights.”
Niklasson also said that many Afghans say that the new interim government is “less corrupt than the previous one.”
EU has been engaging with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) and has a physical presence in the country, but it has repeatedly said that their engagement doesn’t mean it recognizes IEA as a legitimate government.
“The Europeans worry that if Afghanistan collapses, there will be refugee flows toward them. They are very concerned about that. I think they are also pressuring the United States to engage with the Islamic Emirate,” said Abdul Wahid Faqiri, an expert on international relations.
EU officials have said that recognition of the new government in Afghanistan will depend on its fulfilling of the international community’s conditions. IEA has said that it has already met the conditions for recognition.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has announced that it will continue providing its essential health services to the people of Afghanistan.
In a post on X, the organization, referring to Afghanistan’s health needs, said that over the past year it has been active in various health sectors across the country, ranging from maternal and child care to emergency response, as well as the treatment of patients suffering from tuberculosis and severe injuries.
According to MSF, its teams over the past year have been present at a range of health facilities, including neonatal intensive care units, operating theatres, surgical centers, and specialized tuberculosis treatment wards, where they have delivered life-saving services to patients.
The organization stressed that it will continue ensuring the provision of health services, particularly for needy families and vulnerable communities in remote areas of Afghanistan.
The Embassy of Afghanistan in Japan, currently run by diplomats of the previous government, has announced that it will suspend its operations in Tokyo after the end of January 2026.
In a statement issued on Friday, the embassy said the decision was made after consultations with Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in close coordination with Japanese authorities, and in accordance with the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
The embassy added that after January 31, all of its political, economic, cultural, and consular activities will be halted until further notice.
Currently, Shaida Abdali is serving as Afghanistan’s ambassador to Japan.
Sadin Ayyıldız, Chargé d’Affaires of the Turkish Embassy in Kabul, held a courtesy meeting with Zakir Jalali, the Second Political Deputy of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the occasion of the start of his mission.
The Turkish Embassy in Kabul said in a post that the meeting included mutual exchanges of views on bilateral relations.
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