LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has asserted that nobody should bilaterally recognise the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan, urging the West to work together on Afghanistan through mechanisms such as the United Nations and NATO.
“We don’t want anybody bilaterally recognising the Taliban,” Johnson said in an interview clip, adding it was clear that there would be a new administration in the country very shortly.
An update on the situation in Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/26BtPrlic4
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) August 15, 2021
He further said, “We want a united position amongst all the like-minded as far as we can get one so that we do whatever we can to prevent Afghanistan lapsing back into being a breeding ground for terror.”
“The (UK) ambassador is working round the clock, has been there at the airport to help process the applications,” said Johnson. Asked whether he would have expected the country to fall to the Taliban so quickly, he replied, “I think it’s fair to say that the US decision to pull out has accelerated things.”
Meanwhile, Russia said on Sunday that it does not yet recognise the Taliban insurgents as Afghanistan’s new lawful authority, RIA state news agency reported.
Taliban insurgents entered Kabul on Sunday, President Ashraf Ghani left the country and the US Embassy said the capital’s airport, where diplomats, officials and other Afghans had fled, had come under fire.
Ashraf Ghani flees
Ashraf Ghani fled Afghanistan on Sunday evening, ceding power to the Taliban as they reached the capital Kabul to seal a nationwide military victory. His exit came hours after the Taliban ordered their fighters to wait on the outskirts of the capital following an astonishing rout of government forces.
“The former Afghan President has left the nation, leaving the people to this situation,” Abdullah Abdullah, who heads the peace process, said in a video on his Facebook page. “God hold him accountable, and the people will have their judgement,” he added.
Meanwhile, the CNN reported that a high-level Afghan government delegation will travel to Doha “soon” for talks with the Taliban.
“The situation is changing by the minute but we could expect an Afghan government delegation that has more power and authority to travel to Doha soon,” a source privy to the intra-Afghan negotiations told CNN.
