Talks With Taliban Must Continue To Evacuate More People: Angela Merkel

"They are the ones we have to talk to now. We want to get people out of the country who have worked for German development organisations in particular and who now feel threatened," Merkel said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday called for a dialogue with the Taliban as the hardline Islamists finalise a new government that will set the tone for their rule in Afghanistan. "We simply have to talk to the Taliban about how we can get people who have worked for Germany out of the country and bring them to safety," Merkel told a new conference in North Rhine-Westphalia state. "They are the ones we have to talk to now. We want to get people out of the country who have worked for German development organisations in particular and who now feel threatened," Merkel said. The Taliban swooped into power in Afghanistan three weeks ago, prompting a hurried effort by Western states to evacuate their citizens and Afghans who had worked for their armies and aid organisations.