Tobias Ellwood deletes a video where he said Afghanistan had been transformed under the Taliban.
He praised the appearance of solar panels in Afghanistan and noted that the country's opium trade had "all but disappeared".
He also urged the UK to "re-engage" with Afghanistan diplomatically and argued that re-opening the British embassy would be a way to "incrementally" improve women's rights. Fellow defence committee member Mark Francois called the video "utterly bizarre" and accused it of "lauding the Taliban's management of the country".Fawzia Koofi, the first ever female deputy speaker of the Afghan parliament, said Mr Ellwood's comments showed ignorance of how restricted life had become for Afghan women.
Asked about the video on TalkTV, Mr Ellwood said: "It's important to put your hand up and acknowledge errors, however well intentioned. "I stand up, I speak my mind. I try and find solutions especially on the international stage, and I'm very, very sorry that my reflection of my visit could have been much better worded and have been taken out of context."
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