UK PM Boris Johnson reiterates support against Taliban in call with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani

LONDON: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has reiterated Britain's support to Afghanistan in its fight against the Taliban, as part of the wider North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) alliance.

In a phone call from Downing Street in London with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Friday, Johnson also agreed on the importance of making progress in peace talks to secure a sovereign, democratic and united Afghanistan. "He [Johnson] reiterated the UK's longstanding support for the Afghan government's fight against the Taliban as part of the NATO coalition,' a Downing Street spokesperson said.

"They agreed on the importance of making progress in peace talks to secure a sovereign, democratic and united Afghanistan, and to preserve the gains made by civil society and women and girls," the spokesperson said.

Besides regional matters, both leaders also discussed the COVID-19 crisis and global efforts around access to vaccines to combat the pandemic. "The Prime Minister and President Ghani also discussed global efforts to tackle the pandemic and the rollout of vaccines in Afghanistan and the UK," Downing Street said.