New Delhi, Aug 19 (UNI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab exchanged views on the situation in Afghanistan and the immediate challenges in the country following the Taliban takeover.

Jaishankar, who is in New York in connection with the UN Security Council high-level programmes being hosted by India as Council president, said in a tweet that he welcomes the conversation with Raab.

“Welcome the conversation today with UK Foreign Secretary @DominicRaab. Exchanged views on the Afghanistan developments and the immediate challenges,” he posted.

Raab tweeted: “Spoke to @DrSJaishankar about the situation in Afghanistan. The UK and India will work together to tackle shared security threats, support refugees, and ease the humanitarian plight of ordinary Afghans.”

Jaishankar had spoken with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on August 17 over the urgency of restoring commercial operations at Kabul airport, which were suspended on Monday.

The Taliban took over Afghanistan on Sunday, and president Ashraf Ghani fled to the UAE, plunging the country into uncertainty.

Thousands of Afghans are trying to flee the country to escape the fundamentalist militia who have announced imposition of the Sharia way of life in the country, with women and girls most affected. The international community has urged that the rights of women and girls and all Afghans be protected.

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