EU: Afghanistan peace process must be inclusive

The European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell warned authorities in Afghanistan on Tuesday that any attempts to restore strict Islamic rule would impact the bloc's engagement in the war-torn country. Borrell made the comments during a largely virtual pledging conference, the latest effort to drum up aid and support for a country where Taliban fighters are making inroads against the government.

The gathering in Geneva, co-hosted by Finland, was expected to draw diplomats, civil society advocates and international organisations from over 70 countries in the first such event in four years. "Any attempt to restore an Islamic emirate would have an impact on our political and financial engagement", Borrell said.

The pledging conference, overshadowed in part by the COVID-19 pandemic, seeks to lay out objectives for the next four years for Afghanistan and is expected to generate billions for the poor and insurrection-wracked nation.