Minister Kaag has left for Qatar to discuss developments in Afghanistan. After Qatar, the outgoing foreign minister will also visit Pakistan tomorrow and Turkey the day after tomorrow. The talks with colleagues there are mainly about what is needed to evacuate Afghans who have worked for the Netherlands and Dutch people after all.
Kaag talks about the situation at Kabul airport, the importance of safe departure routes and the possible support for countries in the region. She also wants to discuss the future political situation in Afghanistan. The Netherlands has so far had no contacts with the Taliban, but a German envoy has. Kaag will also speak with her German colleague Maas tomorrow.
Safe evacuations are therefore the main focus of the minister’s journey. “But it would be an illusion to think that one trip will bring immediate results,” she said this morning.
After her visit to the region, Kaag will travel to Slovenia on Thursday for a meeting with her EU colleagues. This meeting is also mainly about Afghanistan.
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