After intensive diplomatic efforts, a first convoy with German local staff and their families managed to leave Afghanistan overland.

As Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) explained in Doha, these were women and men who had previously worked for the party-affiliated Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

The group had started by bus from Kabul and passed several checkpoints of the new Taliban rulers on the way to the Pakistani border before reaching the border.

At times contact with the group was lost.

It is now to be flown out via Islamabad.

Immediately after the last American soldiers had withdrawn from the airport, a first way out for those seeking protection was found.

Peter Carstens

Political correspondent in Berlin

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Maas had advertised on Monday and Tuesday in the Pakistani capital for procedures with which up to 10,000 former local employees of German authorities and civil development aid as well as their relatives can safely leave the country.

The group of around 50,000 people also includes those seeking protection from Afghan society, whose lives are threatened under the rule of the Islamist Taliban.

Maas held further talks on Wednesday in the emirate of Qatar, the last stop on his multi-day trip to the region. He had previously negotiated with government officials in Turkey, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan. The Federal Foreign Office would like to see smaller groups of refugees crossing the borders in the next few weeks and then being accompanied by German diplomats, even though the respective governments refuse to accept further refugees. The transfer should take place without much fuss, in order to prevent a wave of refugees, as feared in Tashkent, Dushanbe or Islamabad. Maas had worked hard over the past few days to promote the project at the highest levels.

Several other Western countries also have hundreds or even thousands of refugees in Afghanistan who they want to get out, especially the United States. In addition, further talks were held in Doha about the reopening of Kabul airport, as well as talks with Taliban representatives about border crossings into the neighboring countries of Afghanistan. In principle, the Taliban are ready to allow the airport to open.

However, there is still a lack of clarity about who has which control over which parts of the airport.

Turkey had offered to organize the operation of the partially destroyed facility.

Whoever carries out the security checks is the subject of negotiations.

The Taliban no longer accept a military presence; on the other hand, the controls have to be carried out professionally in order to counter the continuing threat of terrorism.

It is uncertain whether an American company can guarantee security inside the airport, as previously planned.

The federal government has made available 100 million euros for humanitarian aid in the region and a further 500 million euros for support in the region.

Thanks to Qatar

After a conversation with the Qatari Foreign Minister Sheik Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al Thani, Maas thanked the emirate for “the leading role in the evacuation from Kabul”. In the negotiations with the Taliban, the organization and securing of convoys to the airport and finally as the first stop for tens of thousands of people seeking protection, the country played a major role for the airlift from Kabul. As an air hub, Doha will continue to be “in a leading position”, according to Maas.

In Doha, Maas was of the opinion that the Taliban should be discussed. "They are not measured by their words, but by their actions," said Maas. He added: "It is now not about recognition under international law, but about concrete steps." Afghanistan is heading for a humanitarian catastrophe in winter, which must be prevented together. The Qatari Foreign Minister said: "Isolation is not the answer to the situation, but recognition is not the topic of the day."

The German diplomacy, which has long been an onlooker in the Doha talks between the United States and the terrorist organization, now has comparatively good contacts, which are mainly noticed by the Kabul ambassador Markus Potzel. According to Maas, he did not plan to speak to Taliban representatives himself. It is also under discussion whether and in what form the diplomatic corps can return to Kabul at some point. The Taliban had offered several times that they would be able to guarantee the security of the diplomatic quarter in the so-called “green zone”. Since the formation of a government in Kabul is expected in the near future, it is to be expected that at least substantial parts of the political leadership of the Taliban will return to Afghanistan from Qatar.