Washington holds meeting with its partners on Afghanistan

SANAA, Aug. 30 (YPA) – Foreign ministers of several countries will participate on Monday in a video conference to discuss the next steps in Afghanistan,  at a time when evacuations from Kabul entered its final stage.

“Participants will discuss a coordinated approach for the coming days and weeks,” the State Department said in a statement.

Washington is organizing this meeting between the “key partners” on the eve of the day the US military leaves Afghanistan after 20 years of war and a little more than two weeks after the Taliban seized power.

Representatives from France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Qatar, the European Union and NATO will participate in the discussions.

The statement indicated that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will speak after the meeting to assess recent US steps in Afghanistan.

The meeting will take place the day after the United States announced that it had carried out a “defensive” strike by a drone targeting a booby-trapped vehicle with the aim of “eliminating an imminent threat” to Kabul Airport, originating from the Islamic State-Khursan Province.

On Saturday, President Joe Biden warned of a “very possible” new attack after Thursday’s attack near Kabul airport, which was claimed by the Islamic State organization, which left more than 100 people dead, including 13 American soldiers.

In response, Washington launched a drone strike in Afghanistan, killing two members of the extremist organization and wounding a third, warning that this strike would not be the “last”.

Also on Monday, a meeting of the permanent members of the UN Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan will be held at the United Nations Headquarters.