EU Envoy Tomas Niklasson’s Mission in Afghanistan Ends

Tomas Niklasson’s mission as the European Union’s Special Representative for Afghanistan has ended.

In a statement, he emphasized that to maintain the European Union’s engagement and support for the people of Afghanistan, the caretaker government must take immediate steps to address some key issues.

“I leave Afghanistan still deeply troubled with respect to the current humanitarian, political, human rights, and economic situation, and the overall direction in which the country seems to be going, more specifically as a result of recent decrees and directives,” said the EU Special Representative. 

Tomas Niklasson also said that engagement and cooperation are better solutions than shutting doors.

“Whereas the security situation inside the country did not feature prominently on the list of concerns among most Afghans we met, representatives of neighboring countries highlighted their continued serious concerns about the security threats they see emanating from Afghanistan, due to the continued presence and cross-border activities carried out by terrorist groups operating from inside the country,” he said. 

In his statement, Tomas Niklasson referred to his five-day visit to Afghanistan and noted that some neighboring countries have expressed serious concerns about security threats stemming from the presence and activities of terrorist groups in Afghanistan.

 “While the internal security situation was not among the primary concerns of the Afghans I met, representatives of neighboring countries expressed serious concerns about the ongoing presence and cross-border activities of terrorist groups based in Afghanistan,” said the EU Special Representative.

Political affairs expert Amanullah Hotaki mentioned the importance of the presence of special representatives, saying: “The representatives who are appointed play a crucial role. Our request is that they convey the real image and realities of Afghanistan to the world so that we can overcome the current challenges.”

Tomas Niklasson was appointed as the EU’s Special Representative for Afghanistan in 2021, and his mission has now concluded.