The heads of state and government of the G7 countries held a video conference to discuss the current situation and the way forward in Afghanistan. The meeting was also attended by UN Secretary General Guterres and NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg.

The G7 began by discussing their priority objectives in the current evacuation situation, said Federal Chancellor Merkel afterwards. US President Biden had explained that the security situation at Kabul airport was getting worse, she said. “The evacuation operations are enormously difficult,” said Merkel. She said she was pleased to see that German planes had been able to fly from Kabul to Tashkent again today.

The US has the leading role

There was “very, very close cooperation” between the G7 countries and all allies involved in this mission, Merkel explained. Everyone is helping each other, said the Federal Chancellor. In addition to its own citizens and local staff, Germany was also flying out individuals who had worked for other countries, as well as people who had been particularly involved in human rights, including many women. The US had the leading role, said Merkel, emphasising that evacuation operations could not continue without the Americans.

No new date had been set for the end of the evacuation, the Federal Chancellor explained. Internally, preparations were underway for the subsequent phase, with the aim of ensuring that those in need of protection could continue to leave the country, said Merkel, adding that a key issue here was maintaining an open, civilian airport in Kabul.

The official G7 Leaders’ Statement on Afghanistan can be found on the UK G7 Presidency website. See here for a German translation.

Qatar’s constructive role 

For the G7 , the question of whether an inclusive government could be formed in Afghanistan “in which all Afghans feel represented” was of crucial importance, said Merkel. The G7 countries reaffirmed their commitment to the UN Security Council Declaration of 16 October 2021. Merkel explicitly acknowledged the constructive role played by Qatar, which was making an “absolutely vital contribution” to the talks with the Taliban as well as evacuation issues. 

In addition, the G7 discussed the question of humanitarian aid. Merkel announced that Germany would provide 100 million euros in emergency aid as well as an additional sum of 500 million euros. The money would go primarily to UN organisations, she said. She said she had asked the UN Secretary-General “to be very specific with us about what their immediate needs are”, Merkel explained. The re-establishment of a civilian airport in Afghanistan was important for the transport of aid supplies too, she said.

A united front vis-à-vis the Taliban 

Migration to Afghanistan’s neighbouring states had not yet reached acute levels, Merkel said. Germany was also prepared to cooperate with countries such as Pakistan or Iran in providing for refugees. The G7 will now develop a roadmap for future engagements with the Taliban. “Our aim is to present a united front as the G7,” stressed Merkel. 

The UK currently chairs the G7. The Group of Seven (G7) – like the G20 – is not an international organisation but an informal forum for heads of state and government. It comprises Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Canada and the US. For more questions and answers on the G7, click here: The G7

For further information provided by the Federal Armed Forces and the Federal Foreign Office, see:
Evacuation from Afghanistan – Federal Armed Forces
Evacuation from Afghanistan – Federal Foreign Office