PARIS: France has “no intention” of recognising the Taliban regime in Afghanistan despite talks on returning Afghan irregular migrants, the French foreign ministry said Thursday.
“France does not recognise the Taliban and has no intention of doing so. This technical dialogue in no way implies recognition of the regime,” ministry spokesman Pascal Confavreux said.
There is “no Taliban delegation today at the Afghan consulate” in Paris, he added, after a report in the French press to the contrary.
France does not recognise, or maintain diplomatic relations with, the Taliban regime that came into power in 2021.
On Monday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said France has no intention of recognising the Taliban and will never accept their systematic restrictions on women.
Speaking at an event on gender equality at the French Foreign Ministry, Barrot said improvements in the situation of Afghan women and girls were an essential condition for any potential recognition of the Taliban regime.
“France does not recognise the Taliban and has no intention of doing so,” Barrot said. “We will never accept their policy of systematic repression and exclusion of women.”
ژاننویل بارو، وزیر خارجه فرانسه میگوید که کشورش حکومت طالبان را به رسمیت نمیشناسد و قصد ندارد چنین اقدامی انجام دهد. https://t.co/llKSRg3OeX
— VOA Dari (@VOADari) November 3, 2026
France has joined about 20 EU countries, including Germany, Belgium and Sweden, to speed up the return of Afghans, specifically those who have been convicted by courts.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for the Taliban’s Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, the head of Afghanistan’s supreme court and two education ministers on accusations that they committed crimes against humanity through restrictions on women and girls.
A meeting in Brussels in June between a Taliban delegation and officials from 15 EU countries was condemned by several rights groups and European Parliament lawmakers. The talks focused on cracking down on irregular migration and on boosting deportations.
UN rights chief Volker Turk in September decried a “deafening” international silence over Afghanistan’s deepening rights and humanitarian crisis, and demanded a halt to forced returns to the country.
The Taliban regime has imposed a ban on girls aged over 12 continuing their education and barring women from higher education.
