Macron Discusses Afghan Developments With Putin, Biden

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French President Emmanuel Macron stressed Thursday, during phone calls he held with Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Joe Biden, and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, the necessity of "close international cooperation" on the Afghan crisis, according to the Elysee Palace.

The Elysee Palace issued a statement that the French president "stressed the absolute need to ensure rapid and concrete coordination among allies on the ground, to allow the evacuation of our nationals, the Afghan women and men who worked for the allies, as well as those who are under threat."

"The French president stressed to his counterpart the moral responsibility that we collectively behoove regarding the Afghan women and men who need our protection and who share our values," the Elysee statement said, adding, "We cannot abandon them."

Macron and Biden agreed to reinforce their work on humanitarian and political issues, including combatting terrorism during the coming days, in particular within the framework of the G7. Reportedly, the G7 will hold a summit to discuss the Afghan issue next week.

Prior to his call with Biden, President Macron held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which lasted for more than an hour and a half.

During this phone call, the two presidents shared their respective analyses of the situation in Afghanistan, the ongoing evacuations, as well as their priority expectations regarding the Taliban.

According to the statement, the international community expects the Taliban to fight against drugs and arms trafficking, break ties with international terrorist organizations, and respect women's rights.

French President Macron also spoke with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. The Elysee Palace said the two leaders stressed the necessity of closely cooperating within the European Union to evacuate the Europeans and Afghans under threat. They also discussed the repercussions of the Afghan crisis.

In turn, the United States State Department revealed that Secretary Antony Blinken spoke with the G7 Foreign Ministers to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.

Blinken participated by saying that all leaders underscored the imperative of safe passage for those who wish to leave Afghanistan. He also stressed the need for an inclusive political resolution that protects the fundamental human rights of all Afghans, according to a State Department readout of the conference. 

"The leaders agreed that the international community’s relationship with the Taliban will depend on their actions, not their words," the readout added.

Secretary Blinken, the G7 Foreign Ministers, and the High Representative of the European Union also exchanged views on counterterrorism, humanitarian efforts, and refugee migration. They agreed to remain in close contact on all fronts.

Yesterday, during an interview with ABC, US President Biden revealed that he does not believe the Taliban have changed since the turn of the millennium, while the US State Department declared that communication with the Taliban is open.

Additionally, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia supports nationwide talks for all political forces in Afghanistan.