EU says will work with Taliban only if rights are respected

European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi and European High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell are seen on a screen as they take part in an extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council addressing the situation in Afghanistan, in Brussels, Belgium, August 17, 2021. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/Pool

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The EU will only cooperate with the Afghan government following the Taliban's return to power if it respects fundamental rights, including those of women, and prevents the use of Afghanistan's territory by terrorists, the bloc's foreign policy chief said on Tuesday.

Josep Borrell outlined the EU's stance in a statement after an emergency meeting of European Union foreign ministers to discuss the Taliban's quick seizure https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/evacuation-flights-resume-kabul-airport-biden-defends-us-withdrawal-2021-08-17 of the Afghan capital Kabul.