BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan — The EU Special Representative for Central Asia, Terhi Hakala, and the EU Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson, are in Kyrgyzstan for a working visit, Uzbek media reported.
The EU Delegation to Kyrgyzstan announced that Hakala and Niklasson are attending the EU-Central Asia Representatives meeting on Afghanistan, planning to meet with colleagues from the five Central Asian nations.
Their visit also includes meetings with Kyrgyzstan’s government representatives and civil society.
Niklasson’s trip follows his Feb. 5-8 visit to Afghanistan with Raffaella Iodice, the EU Chief of Mission to Afghanistan, and her team. This Kabul visit occurred after extensive outreach to nations attending the Feb. 18-19 UN-convened Special Envoys meeting for Afghanistan in Doha, hosted by Qatar.
Niklasson’s Kabul visit aimed to align perspectives with the de facto authorities, Afghans, and diplomatic community members to set realistic expectations for the Doha meeting.
In a Kabul press conference, Niklasson mentioned an upcoming meeting with Central Asian envoys to discuss Afghanistan before the Doha meeting.
