TALKS WITH TALIBAN MUST CONTINUE: GERMAN CHANCELLOR MERKEL

Sun 05 September 2021:

German Chancellor Angela Merkel appealed for engagement with the Taliban on Sunday, as the hardline Islamists finalize a new cabinet in Afghanistan that will set the tone for their rule.

“We simply have to talk to the Taliban about how we can get people who have worked for Germany out of the country and bring them to safety,” Merkel told a press conference in North Rhine-Westphalia state.

Earlier on Sunday, Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid had told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper that the Taliban wanted “strong and official diplomatic relations with Germany”.

Three weeks ago, the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, sparking a hasty evacuation of Western people and Afghans who had worked for their military and aid organizations.

“They are the ones we have to talk to now. We want to get people out of the country who have worked for German development organisations in particular and who now feel threatened,” Merkel said.

The Taliban swooped into power in Afghanistan three weeks ago, prompting a hurried effort by Western states to evacuate their citizens and Afghans who had worked for their armies and aid organisations.

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