Belgium last week engaged in discussions with the Islamic Emirate authorities regarding the return of Afghan nationals living in Europe without legal documents or with criminal records, according to a report by Het Laatste Nieuws.

Freddy Roosemont, head of Belgium’s Immigration Office, visited Kabul as part of a delegation representing 20 European Union member states for three-day talks with IEA officials.

Anneleen Van Bossuyt, Belgium’s Minister for Asylum and Migration, confirmed the country’s participation, describing the mission as an “administrative recognition” effort coordinated by the European Commission. The mission focused on restoring technical cooperation on administrative matters, particularly identifying individuals eligible for voluntary or forced returns, with priority given to undocumented Afghans with criminal records.

Van Bossuyt emphasized that Belgium does not share values with the Islamic Emirate but highlighted the necessity of administrative cooperation with governments holding differing worldviews. She also assured that Afghan women, children, and other asylum-eligible individuals would not be forcibly repatriated.

Currently, more than 2,000 Afghan nationals remain in reception centers across Belgium.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday praised “brave” British soldiers, calling them warriors, a day after remarks he made about NATO troops in Afghanistan were described as “insulting and appalling” by Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Trump provoked widespread anger in Britain and across Europe after he said European troops had stayed off the front lines in Afghanistan.

Britain lost 457 service personnel killed in Afghanistan, its deadliest overseas war since the 1950s. For several of the war’s most intense years it led the allied campaign in Helmand, Afghanistan’s biggest and most violent province, while also fighting as the main U.S. battlefield ally in Iraq.

“The GREAT and very BRAVE soldiers of the United Kingdom will always be with the United States of America!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, Reuters reported. “In Afghanistan, 457 died, many were badly injured, and they were among the greatest of all warriors. It’s a bond too strong to ever be broken.”

Trump’s initial comments had provoked an unusually strong reaction from Starmer who has tended to avoid direct criticism of Trump in public.

The British leader’s office issued a statement to say the prime minister had spoken to the president on Saturday about the issue.

“The prime minister raised the brave and heroic British and American soldiers who fought side by side in Afghanistan, many of whom never returned home,” the statement said. “We must never forget their sacrifice, he said.”

Veterans in Britain and elsewhere have been lining up to condemn the U.S. president’s comments to Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria” on Thursday in which he said that the United States had “never needed” the transatlantic alliance and accused allies of staying “a little off the front lines” in Afghanistan.

Among them was King Charles’ younger son Prince Harry, who served two tours in Afghanistan.

“Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect,” he said in a statement.

Afghanistan is set to host the next meeting of the working groups established under the United Nations-led Doha process.

The development was announced following a meeting in Kabul between the Minister of Interior Affairs of the Islamic Emirate, Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, and a United Nations delegation led by Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.

During the talks, both sides discussed advancing engagement between Afghanistan and the international community, cooperation in combating narcotics, strengthening economic stability, and addressing restrictions affecting the private sector. Discussions also focused on improving the effectiveness of humanitarian assistance coordinated by the United Nations, according to a statement released by the Interior Ministry.

Minister Haqqani said the Islamic Emirate has taken serious and practical measures to prevent the cultivation, production, and trafficking of narcotics, noting that these efforts have yielded positive results.

The meeting also addressed constructive engagement between the Islamic Emirate and the international community and the expansion of cooperation in light of actual conditions. It was emphasized that mutual respect and realistic cooperation can further strengthen an atmosphere of trust.

The UN delegation praised the current security situation in the country and acknowledged progress made in counter-narcotics efforts. The delegation reaffirmed its commitment to the continuation of humanitarian assistance and emphasized the importance of sustained engagement.

DiCarlo noted that under the third phase of the UN-led Doha process on Afghanistan, the working groups established within this framework are expected to hold their next meeting in Kabul, hosted by Afghanistan.