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Tuesday, 24 August 2021 (YJC)_ President of the European Commission has stated that G7 decided that Kabul Airport must be held for as long as necessary to complete the evacuation.
The G7 decided that Kabul Airport must be held for as long as necessary to complete the evacuation, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has stated in the wake of the G7 summit on the situation in Afghanistan. In line with this statement, the EU Commission chief called on the Taliban* to provide unimpeded access to the airport for those who want out of the country.
"We all agreed that it is our moral duty to help the Afghan people and to provide as much support as possible as conditions allow", von der Leyen said.
Her statements on evacuation were partially echoed by President of the European Council Charles Michel, who said that the EU is concerned about the ability of European nationals and other people to reach Kabul Airport. The road to the latter was blocked by the Taliban earlier in the day, with the group saying only foreigners will be allowed to pass. Michel said that the EU had urged the US and other partners to "secure the airport as long as necessary" to complete the evacuation efforts.
At the same time, the G7 countries failed to agree on a final date for ending the evacuation of foreign and Afghan nationals from Afghanistan, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said after the virtual summit ended. She did not clarify whether this happened due to the member-states failing to come up with a date that would satisfy everyone, noting only that the meeting "could not produce a new date of the for the evacuation's end". Merkel also announced Germany's readiness to work with Pakistan, Iran, and other neighbours of Afghanistan on accommodating Afghan refugees.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in turn, said in the follow up to the G7 meeting that the group’s members had agreed on a roadmap for further joint actions in regards to the situation in Afghanistan.
"What we've done today, the G7, is we've [...] agreed not just a joint approach to dealing with the evacuation, but also a roadmap for the way in which we're going to engage with the Taliban. The number one condition we're setting is that [the Taliban have] got to guarantee right the way through, through August 31 and beyond, safe passage for those who want to come out", Johnson said.
He noted that apparently there will be a Taliban government in Afghanistan and suggested that the G7 could have "huge leverage" on it, despite admitting that the Taliban might not accept some of the demands. Among the possible demands that Johnson brought up are that Afghanistan won't turn into a "breeding ground of terror" or a narcotics-exporting state, and that girls there can receive an education up to the age of 18.
Von der Leyen noted that one billion euros in financial assistance to Afghanistan from the EU will be put on hold until the Taliban government shows its intentions and gives "solid guarantees" that the conditions for receiving such aid are met. Angela Merkel, in turn, promised emergency aid for Afghanistan from Germany worth 600 million euros that would be channelled through UN institutions.
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