France to not have any relationship with Taliban government: Foreign Minister Le Drian

Before heading to Qatar for talks on Sunday for discussing future evacuations from Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Saturday that France will not have any relationship with newly-formed Taliban government as they are lying.   

On France 5 TV, Le Drian said, "They said they would let some foreigners and Afghans leave freely and (talked) of an inclusive and representative government, but they are lying."   

The minister added, "France refuses to recognise or have any type of relationship with this government. We want actions from the Taliban and they will need some economic breathing space and international relations. It's up to them."   

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Till now, France has evacuated about 3,000 people and had held talks with the Taliban to enable those departures.   

Earlier, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres pleaded for countries to continue dialogue with the Taliban. He said this during an interview with AFP on Thursday. He expressed fears that hardline Islamists' return to power in Afghanistan may embolden jihaidists in Sahel region of Africa.    

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"We must maintain a dialogue with the Taliban, where we affirm our principles directly -- a dialogue with a feeling of solidarity with the Afghan people," he said.   

"Our duty is to extend our solidarity to a people who suffer greatly, where millions and millions risk dying of hunger," added the secretary-general.   

He said that the world must avoid an "economic collapse" in Afghanistan.   

(With inputs from agencies)