EU to Provide Aid to Afghanistan's Neighbors Hosting Refugees - Borrell

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th August, 2021) The European Union will financially help Afghanistan's neighboring countries that are taking in Afghan refugees, foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told Corriere della Sera.

"Neighbouring countries will be affected more and earlier than Europe. So, yes: that also means giving those countries financial support as we have done with Turkey [hosting Syrian refugees]," Borrell said in an interview, published on Monday.

The EU should boost cooperation with these countries and help them with "the first refugee wave," according to the diplomat.

"Afghans fleeing the country are not going to reach Rome in the first place, but maybe Tashkent. We need to help those countries that will be on the front line," he continued.

Earlier in August, the UN Refugee Agency urged the neighboring countries of Afghanistan to keep their borders open and be ready to host refugees after the Taliban (designated terrorist by the UN and Russia) took over the country.