The European Union says it has no plans to recognize Afghanistan's new government, once announced, but it will engage with the Taliban-led administration on an "operational" basis.
"In order to support the Afghan population, we will have to engage with the new government in Afghanistan, which doesn't mean recognition. It's an operational engagement," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told a news conference on September 3.
Borrell said the 27-nation bloc will coordinate its contacts with the Taliban through a joint EU presence in Kabul to oversee evacuations and to ensure that the incoming government in Kabul fulfils commitments on security and human rights.
He added that the Taliban must form an inclusive, representative government, allow free access to humanitarian aid, and allow foreign nationals and Afghans at risk to leave the country.
"We have decided to work in a coordinated manner, to coordinate our contacts with the Taliban, including through a joint European Union presence in Kabul...if the security conditions are met," Borrell added during a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers in Slovenia.
The EU would also seek to coordinate engagement with partners in the region in areas such as migration flows and organized crime, he said.