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India, US agree to continue with coordination on Afghanistan
India is coordinating very closely with the US, which controls the Kabul airport, for the planned evacuation of some 400 Indian nationals who are still in Afghanistan.
US secretary of state Antony Blinken and external affairs minister S Jaishankar have agreed to continue coordination between the two sides on Afghanistan as the top American diplomat called counterparts of allied and partner countries.
India is coordinating very closely with the US, which controls the Kabul airport, for the planned evacuation of some 400 Indian nationals who are still in Afghanistan. The US side decides slots for all military evacuation flights at a time when commercial flights are yet to resume from the closed civilian side of the airport.
US state department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement on Thursday that Blinken and Jaishankar discussed the Afghanistan situation and “agreed to continued coordination”. No other details were provided by the US side. This was the second phone conversation on Afghanistan between the two leaders since Tuesday.
Blinken said in a tweet: “Productive call with @DrSJaishankar today about Afghanistan. We agreed to continue our close coordination.”
People familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity that the US side is expected to play a crucial role in assisting Indian nationals trying to get into the military side of Kabul’s Hamid Karzai international airport, including providing security in areas on the periphery that are being patrolled by the Taliban.
The US has a more crucial role in allocating time slots for military flights and this was an issue which had figured in Tuesday’s conversation between Blinken and Jaishankar, the people said. At the time of that conversation, the second batch of Indian diplomats and citizens was waiting to be flown out of Kabul.
“Underlined the urgency of restoring airport operations in Kabul. Deeply appreciate the American efforts underway in this regard,” Jaishankar had tweeted on Tuesday.
The evacuation efforts also figured in a joint statement issued on Friday by NATO foreign ministers, which said: “Our immediate task is now to meet our commitments to continue the safe evacuation of our citizens, partner country nationals, and at-risk Afghans, in particular those who have assisted our efforts. We call on those in positions of authority in Afghanistan to respect and facilitate their safe and orderly departure, including through Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.”
US President Joe Biden has also been in touch with several counterparts. He spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier.
Jaishankar told reporters after chairing a meeting of the UN Security Council on Thursday that the Indian government’s focus in Afghanistan was the safe repatriation of all its nationals. “We are working with international partners in this regard, principally the US because they control the airport,” he said.
US forces secured the Kabul airport on Monday to ensure the evacuation of Americans, citizens of allied countries and partners and Afghans who worked with Americans forces and now fear retaliation from the Taliban. This was done after chaotic scenes at the airport as hundreds of people entered the tarmac and dozens even tried to cling on to planes that were taking off. At least three people plunged to their deaths from a US military jet.
Blinken also spoke on Thursday with counterparts of G7 countries — the UK, France, Germany, Japan, Canada and Italy — and the EU in a videoconference and separately with the NATO secretary general.
“All leaders underscored the imperative of safe passage for those who wish to leave Afghanistan and the need for an inclusive political resolution that protects the fundamental human rights of all Afghans,” the US state department said in a readout of Blinken’s videoconference with G7 and EU leaders.
Blinken has said the US is prepared to engage with the Taliban if they show respect for basic rights of Afghans, especially women and children, and do not harbour terrorists who target America.
