US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Qatar and Germany from September 5 to 8 to meet with the country's leaders and thank them for their support during the safe transit of US citizens, Afghans, and other evacuees from Afghanistan, said State Department spokesperson Ned Price on Friday (local time).
Taking to Twitter, Blinken also informed, "On September 5, I will depart for Doha, Qatar and Ramstein, Germany. This trip will underscore the importance of cooperation on Afghanistan and allow me to thank our staff and German and Qatari friends for their efforts in supporting the largest airlift in history."
"Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Doha, Qatar and Ramstein, Germany from September 5-8, 2021 to reaffirm the United States' commitment to our strong relationships and to underscore our gratitude for the ongoing cooperation on shared priorities," Price said in a statement.
"Secretary Blinken will travel to Qatar from September 6-8. He will meet with Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and other senior officials to thank Qatar for its generous support for the safe transit of US citizens, Afghans, and other evacuees from Afghanistan," read the statement.
The Secretary will discuss coordination of the evacuation efforts and other regional priorities that highlight the strength of the US-Qatar partnership.
Meanwhile, on September 8, Blinken will travel to Germany, said the statement, adding that "there, he will meet with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, attend a Ministerial on Afghanistan, and visit the major transit operation moving people from Afghanistan to the United States via Ramstein Air Base."
"This is an opportunity to reaffirm the strong alliance between the United States and Germany and our close cooperation on shared foreign policy priorities. The Secretary will convey the United States' gratitude to the German government for being an invaluable partner in Afghanistan for the past 20 years and for German cooperation on transit operations moving people out of Afghanistan," read the statement.
At both locations, Secretary Blinken will also visit Department of State employees who are working closely with the Department of Defense and other departments and agencies to help US citizens and vulnerable Afghans travel to their onward destinations.
Blinken will return to Washington, D.C. on September 8, the statement added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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