23 Georgians Stuck in Kabul as Taliban Takes Control

Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Khvtisiashvili said at a news briefing today that the government and its international partners “are actively working” to evacuate 23 Georgian citizens stuck in Kabul, the Afghan capital.

Khvtisiashvili noted that Georgian citizens are former soldiers serving as contract employees in Canadian and American companies. He said they contacted the Georgian Government yesterday morning asking for assistance in evacuation, adding that the Georgian authorities were unaware of their stay in Afghanistan before.

The Deputy Foreign Minister said the Georgian Government found places for them on a Ukrainian plane yesterday, but the stranded citizens were unable to get to the airport.

According to Khvisiashvili, the Georgian citizens, staying some two kilometers away from the airfield, failed to reach the airport during the night again and missed three planes that could evacuate them from the Afghan capital.

The Georgian Deputy Minister clarified that several flights are still planned from Kabul and international partners are ready to transport Georgian citizens, if they make it to the airport.

“The Turkish side confirmed its readiness to transport our citizens to the Kabul airport in armored vehicles… from where our partners will ensure their transportation to Georgia,” Khvitiashvili said.

The Georgian Government, the Deputy Minister said, is also working with “the Afghan government” – albeit without specifying with which groups – to get a permit on returning Georgian citizens by “a separate plane.”

The Taliban captured Kabul facing virtually no resistance yesterday, as the western-backed government opted to surrender rather than to fight. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country shortly before the Taliban took control of the capital. Media footages showed today chaotic scenes from the Kabul airport, with thousands of Afghans trying to escape the Taliban rule.

The NATO Allies decided in April to begin withdrawing the Resolute Support Mission forces from Afghanistan starting May. Launched on May 21, Georgia completed withdrawing its troops stationed in Afghanistan on June 28.

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