US State Secy Antony Blinken to visit Qatar, Germany to hold meetings on Afghan crisis

In order to express gratitude for the evacuation efforts in Afghanistan, US State Secretary Antony Blinken is scheduled to travel to Qatar and Germany. The senior diplomat will meet with the country's leaders and thank them for their support to evacuate foreign nationals and Afghans from the war-torn country.

"Secretary of state Antony J. Blinken will travel to Doha and Ramstein from September 5 to 8, 2021 to reform the United States' commitment to our strong relationships and to underscore our gratitude for the ongoing cooperation on shared priorities," US state department spokesman Ned Price said on Friday.
 

As per the schedule, Secretary Blinken will travel to Qatar from September 6-8 where he will meet with Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and other senior officials. The US Secretary of State will express his gratitude to the Qatari counterparts for their "generous support for the safe transit of U.S. citizens, Afghans, and other evacuees from Afghanistan," Price said in his statement.  During the meeting, the Secretary will also discuss coordination of the evacuation efforts and other regional priorities that highlights the strength of the U.S.-Qatar partnership, the statement added.

"The Secretary will convey the United States’ gratitude to the German government for being an invaluable partner in Afghanistan for the past 20 years and for German cooperation on transit operations moving people out of Afghanistan," US State Department spokesperson Ned Price.

On September 8, Secretary Blinken will travel to Germany where he will meet with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and attend a Ministerial on Afghanistan. Blinken will visit the major transit operation moving people from Afghanistan to the United States via Ramstein Air Base. "This is an opportunity to reaffirm the strong alliance between the United States and Germany and our close cooperation on shared foreign policy priorities," Price mentioned in his statement.

Blinken meets Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minister

On September 3, Antony Blinken met Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minister Eriksen Soreide and discussed the Afghanistan crisis, NATO and the bilateral cooperation in the UN security council. "I was pleased to meet with @NorwayMFA Søreide to discuss the way forward in Afghanistan. Our nations are committed to addressing the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and working together on the UN Security Council. We're grateful for Norway's strong partnership," Blinken wrote on Twitter.

The diplomats discussed the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and continued coordination with the UN Security Council.  As per a department statement, the Secretary reiterated the US's commitment to ensure safe passage for any American, Afghan partner, or foreign national who wants to leave Afghanistan. The Secretary also expressed his appreciation for the strong Norwegian partnership in the region.

With inputs from ANI

Image: AP