MADRID (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd August, 2021) Afghan refugees who had cooperated with the US will be delivered to military bases in Spain in order to facilitate their transit, according to an agreement reached by US President Joe Biden and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
"I have just had a meaningful conversation with President Joe Biden, in which we have addressed several topics of common interest, particularly the situation in Afghanistan and the collaboration between our both governments in the evacuation of citizens from that country," Sanchez said on Twitter on Saturday.
According to the Spanish government, Biden and Sanchez agreed that Afghan refugees will be taken to the Moron Air Base and Naval Station Rota where they will be temporarily housed during transit to other destinations.
Earlier on Saturday, Sanchez said that Spain has the capacity to host up to 800 Afghan refugees in a tent camp at the Torrejon de Ardoz military base. According to the Spanish government, a plane carrying 64 Afghan refugees who had cooperated with the US, arrived at the base on Saturday.
Sanchez said on Saturday that some Afghans who arrived in Spain this week have already been flown to other countries.
Many countries have started evacuating their citizens and diplomatic personnel from Afghanistan after the Taliban (a terrorist group, banned in Russia) entered the Afghan capital of Kabul on August 15. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani resigned and fled the country to prevent what he described as bloodshed that would occur if the militants had to fight for the city.
On Thursday, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced that G7 foreign ministers were urging the Taliban to guarantee Afghans and foreigners safe passage from Kabul. Raab, who chaired a conference call of Canadian, US, French, German, Italian, and Japanese foreign ministers, said in a statement that the seven nations would continue efforts to evacuate vulnerable people from the Afghan capital.
