US working closely with Turkey, Qatar on Kabul airport: Blinken

WASHINGTON

The U.S. is "working closely" with its allies in Turkey and Qatar on quickly reopening Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sept. 3.

"We're working closely with our partners Qatar and Turkey to help get the airport in Kabul up and running as quickly as possible," he told reporters at the State Department.

Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are set to visit Qatar in a joint bid to thank the kingdom for its ongoing efforts in Afghanistan, they announced on Sept. 3.

Blinken told reporters he would leave on Sept. 5 and voice "deep gratitude" to Qatar, a key hub for the massive U.S. airlift of Afghans, as the Taliban swiftly took control of the country.

"I’ll also have a chance to meet with Afghans, including our locally-employed staff from Embassy Kabul, who are now safely in Doha preparing for their journey to the United States," said Blinken.

The top U.S. diplomat said he would then head to Germany to lead a virtual 20-nation ministerial meeting on Afghanistan alongside Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. 

The countries "all have a stake in helping to relocate and resettle Afghans and in holding the Taliban to their commitments," Blinken said.    

He was referring to the Taliban's promises to let Afghans leave the country even after the United States ended its 20-year military mission there earlier this week.    

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will also leave on a trip Sunday that begins in Qatar, which has served as the base for diplomacy with the Taliban.    

Austin will then visit Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, also military allies of the United States, the Pentagon said.