Australia has joined nearly 100 countries calling on the Taliban to comply with their commitment to allow all foreign nationals & Afghans with visas to leave the country in a safe & orderly manner.
Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, deputy head of the movement’s political office had assured the world on Friday, August 27 in a televised address that Afghan borders will be open and Afghans with valid documents will be able to travel in the future at any time into and out of Afghanistan.
Australia and governments of nearly 100 countries including United States of America, Albania, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Canada, Central African Republic, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Eswatini, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, North Macedonia, Norway, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Korea, Republic of Kosovo, Romania, Rwanda, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, Spain, St. Kitts and Nevis, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland , The Gambia, The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, Union of the Comoros, United Kingdom, Vanuatu, Yemen, and Zambia in a joint statement on Monday expressed their commitment to ensuring that their citizens, nationals and residents, employees, Afghans who have worked with them and those who are at risk can continue to travel freely to destinations outside Afghanistan.
“We have received assurances from the Taliban that all foreign nationals and any Afghan citizen with travel authorization from our countries will be allowed to proceed in a safe and orderly manner to points of departure and travel outside the country”, joint statement read.
Australia and other nations also announced to continue issuing travel documentation to designated Afghans after receiving firm assurance from Taliban.
“We have the clear expectation of and commitment from the Taliban that Afghan citizens with travel authorization can travel to our respective countries”, joint statement said adding we note the public statements of the Taliban confirming this understanding.
