US Secretary of State to visit Qatar and Germany with an eye on Afghanistan
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Doha, the capital of Qatar, and Ramstein, Germany, from 6-8 September to reaffirm America's commitment to diplomatic relations with these nations and to thank them for their cooperation on the US exit from Afghanistan, from which international troops withdrew and the Taliban took over.
Antony Blinken will be in Qatar from 6-8 September to meet with Amir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani and other leaders to thank Qatar for its support for the safe passage of US citizens, Afghans and other evacuees from Afghanistan, as confirmed by the US State Department.
The US Secretary of State will discuss coordination of evacuation efforts and other regional priorities important to the US-Gulf political relationship. Blinken told reporters on Friday that he would express his "deep gratitude" to Qatar, a strategic enclave for the huge US airlift from Kabul and a first landing point for thousands of Afghan refugees.
Meanwhile, Qatar's foreign minister said on Thursday that efforts were under way to reopen the airport in Kabul, but cautioned that it was unclear when flights would resume. "We are hopeful that we will be able to operate the airport as soon as possible," Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said. The Qatari minister stressed the need for the Taliban to "demonstrate their commitment to providing safe passage and freedom of movement for the people of Afghanistan", as reported by VOA. He also said Qatar was continuing talks with world powers to resume commercial flights at the Afghan capital's airport. It remains to be seen whether any commercial airlines will be willing to serve Kabul once the airport facility is operational again.
In addition, Antony Blinken said it was vital that civilian air traffic be restored and said that the US had shared information on the operation of Kabul airport with its allies.
Meanwhile, on 8 September, Secretary Blinken will arrive in Germany. There, he will meet with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, attend a ministerial meeting on Afghanistan and visit the major transit operation that moves people from Afghanistan to the United States via Ramstein Air Base, a US Air Force facility in southwestern Germany; the US Secretary of State will show his appreciation to US troops and meet with Afghan refugees.
This demonstrates the strong foreign policy alliance between the United States and Germany. Secretary Blinken will thank the German authorities for their cooperation in the 20-year US mission in Afghanistan, as well as for their help in evacuating Afghan compatriots and citizens from Afghanistan to the US and other countries.
The situation recently became very convulsive in Afghanistan after the effective withdrawal of international troops after 20 years of mission, which began with the US military operation unleashed after the 9/11 attacks in 2001, which led the American giant to undertake an operation against jihadist terrorism and the terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda, led at the time by Osama bin Laden. After the last departure of international soldiers from Afghan territory, the Taliban rapidly advanced to take over Kabul and seize absolute power in the country in order to establish a government governed in principle by Islamic law.
In both Qatar and Germany, Antony Blinken will also visit State Department employees who are working closely with the Department of Defense and other departments and agencies to help US and Afghan citizens in need to travel to their future destinations.
Antony Blinken again defended the US exit from Afghanistan, saying that a relatively small number of US citizens remained in the country and that the State Department was in active contact with all of them. "Our new team in Doha is up and running," he said, and a handler has been assigned to each US citizen still in Afghanistan.
Blinken said again that the State Department contacted US citizens in Afghanistan several times before the last US troops left the country, and that many of them have dual citizenship and are long-time residents in the country and were hesitant about staying. The secretary of state also said the US remains committed to helping any Americans who want to leave and to supporting candidates for special immigrant visas and other Afghans who have served the US.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will also visit US allies in the Gulf starting Sunday to thank them for their help in the Afghan evacuations. According to media reports, he will visit Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Friday, as reported by VOA. Austin will also meet with US troops in the region, Kirby said.