WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th August, 2021) The United States will hold a virtual meeting on Afghanistan on Monday and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to give a public statement on Afghanistan on Monday afternoon, the US State Department informs.
"On Monday, August 30, 2021, the United States will host a virtual ministerial meeting with key partners on Afghanistan, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Qatar, the European Union, and NATO. The participants will discuss an aligned approach for the days and weeks ahead," the State Department said on Sunday.
According to State Department Spokesperson Ned price, Blinken discussed Afghanistan and the issue of safe passage for Afghans and foreign nationals following the Taliban's (terrorist organization, banned in Russia) takeover of Kabul with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday.
"Later in the afternoon [on Monday], Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will deliver remarks on our efforts [in Afghanistan] since August 14 and discuss the way forward," the State Department informed in a separate statement.
US President Joe Biden plans to evacuate all diplomatic staff, including the US ambassador, from Afghanistan by Tuesday, August 31, according to US media reports.
The Biden administration has not made any final decisions about what a future US presence in Afghanistan might look like, or whether Washington will recognize a Taliban government, according to The Washington Post.
The Taliban has warned that they will not extend the deadline for foreign military withdrawal from Afghanistan, but will allow the evacuation of civilians to continue beyond Tuesday.
