NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will chair this Friday afternoon a meeting of ambassadors from Alliance countries, after the United States’ decision to evacuate diplomats and nationals from Afghanistan, two diplomatic sources told AFP.
“The evacuation” of the country will be at the heart of the discussions, with the military options and adaptations required to proceed with these departures, said one of these officials.
Short vacation for NATO Secretary General
Washington announced Thursday the sending of thousands of soldiers to Kabul to evacuate diplomats or nationals in the face of the rapid advance of the Taliban towards the Afghan capital. The allies were briefed on the US decision on Thursday, Alliance diplomats said. The UK quickly followed suit in Washington.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg cut his vacation short and returned to Brussels to chair this crisis meeting on Friday. “It is a question of securing the international airport of Kabul”, specified a diplomat. Turkey has offered to take on this mission, he added.
Each member of the Alliance has planned the evacuation of its diplomatic staff and nationals. “It is a question of determining who does what, when, how and what support is given for this”, underlined this diplomatic source.
“For the moment, it is the greatest uncertainty”
The meteoric advance of the Taliban has changed the situation and hastened decisions. “You need a favorable environment to carry out these operations. But for the moment, it is the greatest uncertainty, ”she warned.
The insurgents seized Lashkar Gah (south), capital of the province of Helmand, a few hours after having brought down Kandahar, the second city of the country, located 150 km to the east. They already control
Pul-e-Alam, only 50 km south of Kabul, which brings them dangerously close to the Afghan capital.
Taliban forces now control nearly half of Afghanistan’s provincial capitals, all of which fell in just eight days.