(Reported by nytimes) 98 countries collectively announce that they have got assurance from the Taliban that people will be allowed depart safely if they have the travel document and they were willing to enter any of those countries.
Those 97 countries along with the United States will be allowing people fleeing Afghanistan after the departure of the American Military this week. All the countries have secured an agreement with the Taliban on this. Taliban will allow safe passage to those leaving from Afghanistan.
Sher Muhammad Abbas Stanekzai, the chief negotiator Taliban, announced this Friday that they would not cease people from departing. It doesn’t matter that is the nationality of leaving people or even if they have worked for US during the long 20 years of war.
The joint statement has been released on Sunday, August 29, on behalf of more than half of the world’s countries and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. All the governments have confirmed receiving assurance from the Taliban that people will be allowed to leave safely, upon showing travel documents. They could enter any country they want.
The governments also pledge to keep issuing documentation and travel permission to “designated Afghans” and they mentioned about “clear expectation of and commitment from the Taliban” for their safe depart.
The joint statement by the countries say that they have kept a record of the Taliban’s public statement confirming their agreement upon this understanding of safe depart.
98 countries of the world pledge to help the Taliban rebuilding Afghanistan while China and Russia are two permanent members of the UN Security Council that are dominantly missing from the statement.
US military will completely depart from Afghanistan on Tuesday and United States is unlikely to keep diplomats in Afghanistan. This statement was made public on the same day Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken told “NBC’s Meet the Press”.
At the press conference, officials said that there were expectations of opening a new diplomatic mission in any other region of the country after the US mission to Afghanistan. Furthermore, the refugees will also be getting necessary documents for departure from any of these countries they want to travel.
The statement did not mention any of the consequences that the Taliban would have to face in case of going back to the promise made. A senior state official said that this incentive is to convey an implicit that is foreign aid to the government and the international community will ensure to enforce it.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the chief American envoy to Taliban peace talks, tweeted that it was a positive step by the Taliban to assure the safe departure of the refugees and the international community will hold on to the commitments made.
This is for those tens of thousands of Afghans who are fearful of living under Taliban rule. Such Afghans include those who have worked for the US either in the military or in the embassy since 2001. They were eligible to immigrate to the United States. Most of them are also fearful of passing through Taliban checkpoints. Since August 14, more than 114,400 people have evacuated from the international airport of the capital, Kabul.
