UK Foreign Secy speaks with US counterpart on evolving situation in Afghanistan
London [UK], August 22 (ANI): Amid the ongoing turmoil in Afghanistan, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab discussed the issues concerning the war-torn country with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.
"Today @JY_LeDrian and I spoke about working through our shared membership of the G7, NATO and the UNSC (United Nations Security Council) to forge a consensus on the future of Afghanistan that safeguards our security and delivers humanitarian assistance to where it is needed," Raab tweeted.
In a subsequent tweet, the British foreign minister said he had also discussed Afghanistan with Blinken, particularly the evacuation of UK and US citizens from the country.
"This evening I spoke again to my US counterpart @SecBlinken on the evolving situation in Afghanistan. We're partnering on evacuating our nationals and Afghan workers, and to forge an international strategy on counter-terror, humanitarian relief and regional stability," Raab said.
Afghanistan is witnessing a crisis after the collapse of the Ashraf Ghani government and the country's takeover by the Taliban. Since Sunday, chaotic scenes have emerged from Kabul where people can be seen rushing to the airport to flee the nation.
The United Kingdom on Friday announced COVID-19 vaccines for Afghans coming to the country.
"Additional healthcare provision, access to COVID-19 vaccinations and funding for housing will be provided to support Afghans coming to the UK via the Afghanistan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme," the statement read.
Earlier this week, Raab had announced that G7 foreign ministers were urging the Taliban to guarantee Afghans and foreigners safe passage from Kabul.
Raad had chaired a call of G7 Foreign and Development Ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States of America, as well as the High Representative of the European Union to discuss the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. (ANI)
