Brief for the Afghanistan Roundtable | 8th February 2023
The European Union’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan Mr.Tomas Niklasson visited India from 8 to 10 February 2023, to discuss developments in Afghanistan with Government representatives. Given the ongoing challenges in Afghanistan in the form of a grave humanitarian situation, complexities, banning on women’s education, Ananta Aspen Centre in collaboration with the Delegation of the European Union to India hosted the Afghanistan Roundtable with Mr. Tomas Niklasson.
In Afghanistan, everyone is seeking any source of hope to hold onto which has now been replaced by despair due to the country’s current circumstances. The Taliban government has drawn global criticism for imposing several restrictions, including a prohibition on women attending school. In that regard, the roundtable was timely, held under Chatham House rules, and was attended by Afghanistan experts from the Indian civil society.
The roundtable aimed for a rich and forward-looking conversation. Gladly, the discussions were insightful, suggestive, and stirred some very critical questions—a way forward for the EU consultations with India in its mission to Afghanistan.
