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Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday Britain would work with the Taliban if needed after the militants capture of Afghanistan, and defended his foreign minister who has come under fire for his handling of the situation.
"What I want to assure people is that our political and diplomatic efforts to find a solution for Afghanistan, working with the Taliban, of course if necessary, will go on," Johnson told media.
Asked if he still had confidence in Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab who has faced calls for his resignation from opponents for his response to the crisis, he said: "Absolutely".
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab was forced to go on the defensive on Friday after it emerged that a phone call between him and his counterpart in the now-collapsed Afghan government failed to take place as the Taliban stormed towards Kabul over the weekend.
In a statement, Raab insisted the government was "working tirelessly" to help people flee Afghanistan as he sought to defend his response to the crisis in the region.
“The whole government has been working tirelessly over the last week to help as many people evacuate from Afghanistan as possible. The UK Government’s overriding priority has been to secure Kabul airport so that flights can leave," Raab said.
With specific reference to the missed phone call that has dominated headlines in the UK media over the past few days, the minister said: “On Friday afternoon, 13 August, advice was put to my Private Office (around 6pm Afghan time) recommending a call to the Afghan Foreign Minister. This was quickly overtaken by events.
“The call was delegated to a Minister of State because I was prioritising security and capacity at the airport on the direct advice of the Director and the Director General overseeing the crisis response.
www.livemint.com
"What I want to assure people is that our political and diplomatic efforts to find a solution for Afghanistan, working with the Taliban, of course if necessary, will go on," Johnson told media.
Asked if he still had confidence in Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab who has faced calls for his resignation from opponents for his response to the crisis, he said: "Absolutely".
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab was forced to go on the defensive on Friday after it emerged that a phone call between him and his counterpart in the now-collapsed Afghan government failed to take place as the Taliban stormed towards Kabul over the weekend.
In a statement, Raab insisted the government was "working tirelessly" to help people flee Afghanistan as he sought to defend his response to the crisis in the region.
“The whole government has been working tirelessly over the last week to help as many people evacuate from Afghanistan as possible. The UK Government’s overriding priority has been to secure Kabul airport so that flights can leave," Raab said.
With specific reference to the missed phone call that has dominated headlines in the UK media over the past few days, the minister said: “On Friday afternoon, 13 August, advice was put to my Private Office (around 6pm Afghan time) recommending a call to the Afghan Foreign Minister. This was quickly overtaken by events.
“The call was delegated to a Minister of State because I was prioritising security and capacity at the airport on the direct advice of the Director and the Director General overseeing the crisis response.
PM Johnson says UK will work with Taliban if needed
Asked if he still had confidence in Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab who has faced calls for his resignation from opponents for his response to the crisis, he said: 'Absolutely'
www.livemint.com
