EAM Jaishankar discusses evacuation strategy with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas

Amidst the ongoing efforts to evacuate its citizens safely, India and Germany are putting their best foot forward to bring back nationals from war-stranded Afghanistan. S Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister, informed that he received a phone call from German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Saturday, during which they addressed the issues of evacuation in Afghanistan.

EAM Jaishankar connects with German Foreign minister over evacuation status in Afghanistan

"Appreciate the call from Foreign Minister @Heiko Maas of Germany. Discussed the evacuation challenges in Afghanistan and the policy implications of the changes there," Jaishankar tweeted.

EAM Jaishankar revealed his appreciation for the German Foreign Minister, who called him to discuss the ongoing evacuation strategy in war-torn Afghanistan and to understand the ground situation better.

Germany evacuates over 2000 people from Kabul

This comes after German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer informed that the German military has airlifted almost 2,000 people out of Kabul airport until Saturday. India has also stepped up its evacuation strategy amid the ongoing turmoil in Kabul.
 

Earlier in the day, the government sources reported that all Indian citizens awaiting evacuation from Kabul are safe. The development comes after earlier reports stated that the Taliban had abducted over 150 people, including Indian citizens. Afghanistan media had reported that several people including Indians had been abducted by the terrorists from an area close to the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.

However, the Taliban had refuted the reports about the kidnapping of Indians. This comes amidst mass evacuations executed by several countries scrambling to get their citizens out of the war-torn country. 

Earlier in the day, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said, "The Afghan army collapsed at a breathtaking pace. We had expected the resistance to be stronger." 

Merkel said that the focus is now on rescuing people from Afghanistan, but insisted that there would be a discussion on what's been achieved.

On August 15, the Taliban stormed the presidential palace in Kabul, declaring victory over the government. In Afghanistan, efforts are being taken to maintain stability. Thousands of people, on the other hand, are flocking to the airport to evacuate the country, fearing the terror group's horrible acts.