EXCLUSIVE – Emmanuel Macron on TF1: “We must have these discussions” with the Taliban – LCI

Rescue missions in Afghanistan are far from over. If France has been able to evacuate, since mid-August, 2,800 people from Kabul in the face of the arrival of the Taliban, including all of its nationals, it will now be necessary to negotiate with the new authorities to try to evacuate the Afghans who remained on place and now threatened with death in their country.

This is the message sent on Sunday evening by Emmanuel Macron, on the occasion of an exclusive interview carried out at the end of his trip to Iraq, and broadcast on TF1 news. “There are still several hundred, several thousand women and men to protect”, estimated the Head of State during this interview. “We did the best we could do […] “We are going to build with our partners, through negotiations with the Taliban which are now required, solutions to, over time, allow them to leave Kabul and Afghanistan and be protected”, added the President of the Republic.

In an attempt to save lives, insisted Emmanuel Macron, negotiation with the new power is inevitable. “We have initiated a dialogue with the Taliban”, he confirmed. “Qatar has played a very special role for several months in these negotiations.”

The objective of these discussions, for the President of the Republic, is “Obtain humanitarian evacuations of all women and men who are at risk. Will we get there? I can’t guarantee that.”

“Today, we have operations to conduct which are these evacuations of people in danger. Let us be clear, today those who have control of Kabul are the Taliban. In an operational, practical way, we must have these. discussions. This does not prejudge recognition “, he clarified. “We have set conditions. The first is that the Taliban respect humanitarian law and the protection of all those who have the right to be protected by asylum. The second thing is that they are very clear with regard to all terrorist movements. If they come to terms with the terrorist movements present in the region, it will be unacceptable to all of us. The third thing is respect for human rights, and in particular the dignity of Afghan women. “

At the end of the regional summit co-organized this weekend by France, Emmanuel Macron also confirmed that the French forces, engaged since 2014 through Operation Chammal, will not leave Iraq, even if the United States were to decide to withdraw from the country by the end of the year.

“We have committed soldiers. We will maintain them as long as the terrorist forces are there and as long as the Iraqis ask us to. If the Americans decided to withdraw, we would not be dependent on that decision and we could fully maintain our troops alongside the Iraqis “, he assured.

Asked, finally, about the terrorist risk linked to the upheavals in Afghanistan, the Head of State recalled “There is no such thing as zero risk. We must always be vigilant […] We are organized, we have strengthened our resources, we are working with friendly countries hit by terrorism. We will continue to do so, that risk remains. “