On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden will meet with leaders of the Group of Seven (G-7) to address evacuation in Afghanistan, according to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
This virtual gathering will be the first forum where Biden will be speaking to America’s allies about the fall of Kabul to the Taliban and the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan which has caused apprehension and anger amongst some of the allies.
“President Joe Biden is scheduled to virtually meet other leaders of the G-7 countries on August 24. The leaders will discuss continuing our close coordination on Afghanistan policy and evacuating our citizens, the brave Afghans who stood with us over the last two decades, and other vulnerable Afghans,” Psaki said in a statement.
Psaki said the leaders will also discuss plans to provide humanitarian assistance and support for Afghan refugees.
Also read: Afghanistan crisis: All-party meeting of the Ministry of External Affairs on August 26
The G-7 group includes leaders from the US, the UK, Italy, France, Germany, Japan and Canada. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who will chair the meeting, told Reuters that the meet will focus on evacuation efforts in Afghanistan and long term plans for the nation after the US withdraws its troops by August 31.
Over the last few days, Biden has had personal calls with some of the leaders, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
Meanwhile, UNHCR is calling on countries neighbouring Afghanistan to keep their borders open in light of the intensifying crisis in Afghanistan,” Catherine Stubberfield, UNHCR’s regional spokesperson for Asia and the Pacific, said, according to Sputnik.
