- Title: 'Huge crowd' of requests to evacuate Kabul: French ambassador
- Date: 23rd August 2021
- Summary: ABU DHABI, UAE (AUGUST 23, 2021) (AGENCY POOL) FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER JEAN-YVES LE DRIAN SAYING (French): "Can you hear me, Kabul?" PEOPLE ATTENDING VIDEO CONFERENCE VARIOUS OF SCREEN SHOWING FRENCH AMBASSADOR TO AFGHANISTAN, DAVID MARTINON (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER, JEAN-YVES LE DRIAN, SAYING: "France is there in solidarity and in action for the world. We're mobilised to ensure we're there not only for the Afghan personnel who have helped us - we owe them the evacuation and return - but also as we are there for the Afghans who are at risk, who are threatened, and for whom France is there for." (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH AMBASSADOR TO AFGHANISTAN, DAVID MARTINON, SAYING: (VIA VIDEO LINK) "The French embassy is staying open with the security post there, and quite a number of French nationals and Afghan nationals who actually continued to arrive, I decided to welcome into the embassy because when the Taliban arrived, they were terrified by this arrival. And so, you know, they stayed several days in our care and a last group stayed a little longer. We were able to get them out and for many days, a huge crowd of Afghan applicants have been asking for embassy protection." VARIOUS OF EVACUEES FROM KABUL AFTER LANDING IN THE UAE
- Embargoed: 6th September 2021 17:02
- Keywords: Afghanistan France conflict evacuations
- Location: ABU DHABI, UAE
- City: ABU DHABI, UAE
- Country: UAE
- Topics: Defence,Middle East,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001ERI42MF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: France is concerned about the August 31 deadline set by the United States to pull out of Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Monday (August 23).
Le Drian said France would be there to help evacuate anyone who was potentially at risk in Afghanistan.
However, there are fears that there is not enough time left to complete evacuations,
U.S. President Joe Biden has said U.S. troops might stay beyond the deadline to oversee the evacuations, but a Taliban leadership official said foreign forces had not sought an extension - which would not be granted if they had.
French planes have so far evacuated more than 1,000 Afghans through Abu Dhabi, where Paris has a military base, the ministry said earlier.
Le Drian, who was accompanied by Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly to a video conference with France's ambassador to Afghanistan, said the main concern remained access to Kabul airport.
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