VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The European Union -EU has not yet decided whether to formally recognize the Taliban government, after the group took over Afghanistan last month. But EU’s aid money will determine what conditions may apply in Afghanistan.

Quoting the Antara News Agency, Slovenia's Foreign Minister, Anze Logar, whose country holds the EU presidency for six months, said that accusations of the Taliban as a terrorist organization by several European Union countries made the new government in Afghanistan need recognition of legal status. This is not only a diplomatic issue, but also a legal issue.

As a group of 27 democracies, the European Union should continue to strive to uphold human rights around the world. Although condemning the Taliban, which is considered to have oppressed women when in power from 1996 to 2001, yet, when it comes to human rights, the sanctions given must still take into account human values for Afghan people as a whole.

For the European Union, the recognition of the Taliban government by other countries will certainly have important consequences, such as allowing the Taliban access to foreign aid on which the previous Afghan government depended.

Meanwhile, for the violence carried out by the Taliban, strict sanctions can also be given, considering the European Union is the largest aid donor in the world. Undeniably, without aid, it would be the biggest blow to the Taliban government, and impact on the Afghan people. But of course, all help has conditions.

European Union policies must always be based on the values they commonly refer to as human rights, democracy, rule of law, solidarity and freedom of expression. Unfortunately, some of these values cannot be applied by the EU itself. One of the EU members, Slovenia, for example, stated that it is not open to refugees from Afghanistan. The EU commitment to Afghan refugees also seems to only apply to those who have worked with European troops, NATO, governments and institutions in Afghanistan. In fact, a few other Afghans feel scared and want to flee their country because they are not in line with the Taliban.