On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden will meet with the leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) to discuss evacuation efforts in Afghanistan. This virtual gathering will be the first time Biden addresses America’s allies about the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul and the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan, which has alarmed and angered some of the allies.
Leaders from the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany, Japan, and Canada make up the G7 group. The meeting, which will be chaired by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, will focus on evacuation efforts in Afghanistan and long-term plans for the country after the United States withdraws its troops by August, according to Reuters.
The leaders will also discuss how to protect the gains made in Afghanistan over the last two decades, particularly in the areas of girls’ education and women’s rights. Economic sanctions against the Taliban if they commit human rights violations, as well as whether or not to recognise the Taliban as the country’s leaders, will be discussed at the meeting, according to diplomatic sources in the UK.
Biden, whose administration has come under fire for the fall of Kabul, said in a press statement that the G7 forum will help the international community to arrive at a joint approach for a longer term. “Our first priority is to complete the evacuation of our citizens and those Afghans who have assisted our efforts over the last 20 years – but as we look ahead to the next phase, it’s vital we come together as an international community and agree a joint approach for the longer term,” he said
“That’s why I’ve called an emergency meeting of the G7 – to coordinate our response to the immediate crisis, to reaffirm our commitment to the Afghan people, and to ask our international partners to match the UK’s commitments to support those in need,” he added.
The meeting will build on Biden’s calls to Johnson, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi earlier this week, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki. There has been no word from the White House on the disagreement between America and its allies over Biden’s hasty withdrawal decision. Both France and the United Kingdom have urged their American counterparts to ensure that Afghan men and women who fought alongside them in Afghanistan are evacuated along with their citizens.
