EU leaders call on the Taliban to respect press freedom

The EU block makes press freedom in Afghanistan a necessary condition for the Taliban to initiate a dialogue with the EU. EU officials have demonstrated their willingness to cooperate with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, but at the same time, they have established prerequisites for the Taliban to meet. 

Taliban leaders must ensure that an inclusive transition government protects freedom of the press and allows foreigners and Afghans to live in the country without fear of reprisals. That is the message EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell sent to the Taliban following the informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Slovenia. 

The EU will impose several benchmarks that the Taliban regime must meet if it wants engagement with EU member states. According to Borrell, some of them include "the management of population flows from Afghanistan; the prevention of the spread of terrorism; the fight against organized crime, including drug trafficking and human being smuggling," 

Taliban leaders have publicly committed to protecting journalists and respecting press freedom, but the regime imposes restrictions on news outlets and harasses women journalists in Afghanistan who become extinct.