NATO's role in Afghanistan is now limited to coordinating evacuations of personnel. /People's Vision
NATO has called on the Taliban to form an inclusive government including women and ethnic minorities.
Foreign ministers from the Alliance, which played a leading role in supporting the government that was overthrown this month, said they would not allow the country to once again become a terrorist haven.
"Any future Afghan government must adhere to Afghanistan's international obligations; safeguard the human rights of all Afghans, particularly women, children, and minorities; uphold the rule of law; allow unhindered humanitarian access; and ensure that Afghanistan never again serves as a safe haven for terrorists," a statement from the ministers said.
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A Taliban spokesman yesterday reiterated to CGTN Europe a promise to allow women to continue their education and work and vowed not to persecute former opponents.
Suhail Shaheen blamed false rumors by the group's enemies for sparking a chaotic exodus towards Kabul's international airport, currently controlled primarily by U.S. troops evacuating their citizens and some refugees.
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Michael Semple, a former EU envoy to Afghanistan, said the idea that the Taliban would form an inclusive government after years of refusing to share power, was completely unrealistic.
"It's impossible, it's not going to happen," he told CGTN's Global Business Europe program, noting that senior religious figures would take all the key positions in the new administration.
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NATO ministers called for the evacuation of nationals of its members and "at-risk" Afghans to be allowed to continue amid reports of Taliban checkpoints restricting access to the airport.
In a more humble tone, the statement promised a reflection on the role of the organization in Afghanistan, where it had spent almost two decades training and equipping the armed forces only to see them overturned in a matter of weeks by Taliban militia.
Cover image: Francisco Seco/AP