EU says working 'hard' to ensure safety of Afghan staff

The EU said Sunday that the Taliban's advance to Kabul had "increased the urgency to provide protection" for its Afghan staff against possible reprisals, and Brussels was trying to ensure their safety.  

"The matter is extremely urgent, we take it very seriously and continue to work hard, together with EU Member States, on implementing rapid solutions for them and ensure their safety," an EU spokesman said.  

"We are in intense contact and work closely on this with the Member States to maximise the possibilities for our local staff and their dependents to relocate to a safe location."

The spokesman for the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that "further bloodshed and casualties in Afghanistan should be avoided".

"We understand that negotiations are underway for agreeing on a transitional set-up and we will react accordingly," he said. 

The Taliban have swept to the brink of returning to power after a lightning advance after NATO troops withdrew on the back of a decision by US President Joe Biden to pull out. 

European powers present in Afghanistan moved Sunday to evacuate their nationals and local staff.

The EU representation cannot itself issue individual visas and has to rely on the bloc's 27 member states to offer to take in its staff.