Boris Johnson to call on G7 to support for Afghan people

London, Aug 24 (UNI/Sputnik) UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will call on the Group of Seven (G7) leaders to step up their support for the Afghan people at the bloc’s emergency virtual meeting on Afghanistan he will be chairing on Tuesday, the UK government has announced.

According to the statement, Johnson is expected to ask the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States to match the UK’s commitment to relocate 20,000 Afghan refugees and contribute 286 million pounds ($392 million) in humanitarian aid to the region.

“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,” the prime minister was quoted as saying ahead of the meeting.

The Taliban (a terrorist group, banned in Russia) entered Kabul on August 15 after a weeks-long offensive which resulted in the collapse of the US-backed civilian government. The development has forced thousands of Afghans to seek escape from the country for fear of reprisals from the militants.

As of Monday, the UK had secured the evacuation of almost 6,000 people out of Kabul, but several thousand Afghans who worked for the foreign military forces are in risk of being left behind after the Taliban warned that it won’t accept an extension to the August 31 deadline for the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.