ah, now here with every oh i let's take you now live to a joint press conference. that is on the way here in dough hall. it's between cutoff foreign minister mohammed been the rockman now tawny and catan. defense minister, dr. katia, been mohammed and us counterparts. us x, your state entity blinking us secretary of defense lloyd, often they are due to give briefing to the press any moment. now this is one of the most senior us official visits to the region

since the taliban, of course took over the scanner on about 3 weeks ago. now august 15th, at this live event taking place in castle castle courts played a key role in lifting some $55000.00 people out of afghanistan, nearly half the total number that were eventually evacuated by us led forces off to the taliban takeover. so this visit the u. s. visit being described somewhat of a a thank you. visit to ca, tall in its role in helping washington evacuate those thousands of people out. cobbled, let's have a listen. now, this event, boston from the united states of america.

we'll follow the assistance of development today we will talk about gun this time. i'm going to see on technical professional work at the tail. we'll leave it to my brother mohammed. then after the man please go ahead and shot. it said that you're my brother, and i'll tell you will come and think of his accident. she was making his action and she and the managed word to me. all of this been working on this strategy for the decades

and we have discussed many topics throughout our meeting show. and of course, we are ongoing, ongoing consultations, particularly humanitarian and security matters in afghanistan and john golden for no charge of the guns. it is important to keep opening the safe passages for human on humanitarians grounds to see how they can come out. and it is important that this was done as swiftly as possible, this phone call and the re opperation and operating off the port. we discussed the many other different issues have

me on a spinny and regarding the different opinion issue. also it is important to continue with the humanitarian aid to wrap it in and punish time. few more of a cost are also has to be in time didn't on these issues and i'm going to set up as more this is also from the platform for discussion, different topics. and this goes through this partnership. i would like to think she's excellent to minister austin for coming to don't and all his efforts

and his assistance or in stability and security in the region was on. and of course, we share the continue with the initial pass and we hope that we participate even further. let me start 1st of all by saying thank you to his highness, the amir, for his wonderful hospitality and very good meeting last night and to lead me on a defense minister to you. thank you as well for hosting us today for the very good conversation dialogue that we've had. secretary in austin and i are very pleased and indeed honored to to be here to express 1st and foremost or deep gratitude to the guitar people. many countries have stepped up to help the evacuation relocation efforts in afghan, not gonna stand. but no country has done more than more than

58000 people at transit through doha barragan's at risk. afghans at risk, citizens of allied partners, nations cutter was the 1st stop on a journey to a more peaceful and hopeful future. for so many people, you welcome them with compassion and with generosity. when problems arose, that worked hand in hand with us to address them. the men, women and children who transitive through here will not forget what you did at a pivotal moment in their lives. neither will we i want to mention just a few examples of the substantial support the truly remarkable support the cutter has provided. in addition to saying yes, tens of thousands of people transiting through here. you provided life saving, medical support,

including field medical tents and access to walk pro hospital. for these close of use of us. you served 10000 meals 3 times a day. at lou date. you've established a coordination. sell a camp, bustle, ian. tell. organize all of the jose sending more supplies and you provided 20 guitar airways flights to fly thousands of people to the united states in germany. and you've offered 20 more. all told, this has been a remarkable outpouring of support under incredibly challenging circumstances and a powerful testament to the world of cutters, generosity, and statesmanship. it's not a coincidence that we've transferred our afghanistan diplomatic operations to doha, as we carry forward our diplomacy here. we know the cutter will be our partner because this is not the 1st time the cutter is stepped up to help in that candidate

for years. at our request, you facilitate a diplomacy between the taliban and the afghan government to try to bring the conflict to peaceful resolution. now, in addition to being by our side, dealing with significant human needs that come from ending a war, you also continue to keep working to keep open a pathway from afghanistan to the rest of the world. and in particular, we appreciate the diplomacy, the cutter and turkey are conducting to help get the airport and capital up and running again. on a related note, let me briefly address the topic of charter flights, which has been on people's minds many thousands of us citizens, permanent residents at risk at risk. as we successfully evacuated and relocated from have all have left aboard charter flights. now, others are working to arrange more such flights. we're working around the clock with embryos, with members of congress and advocacy groups. providing any and all information and

doing all we can to clear any roadblocks that they've identified, to make sure that charter flights carrying americans or others to whom we have a special responsibility can depart afghanistan safely. without personnel on the ground, we can't verify the accuracy of manifest the identities of passengers flight plans, radiation security protocols. so this is a challenge, but one we're determined to work through. we're conducting a great deal of diplomacy on this as we speak. we've also been engaging with the taliban in this topic, including in recent hours, they said that they will let people with travel documents freely, depart, and we will hold them to that. so we'll dozens of other countries. the international community is watching to see if the taliban will live up to their commitments. they will certainly be more work to do together in the days to come. our 2 countries will continue to closely coordinate as we have for the past several weeks to keep the relocation effort moving forward as smoothly and swiftly as

possible. this is a complex operation, as complex as any in recent memory. but i've got every confidence will succeed at it, because the partnership between cut or in the united states has never been stronger . and our countries will continue, as we've heard on a wide ranging list of issues, a wide ranging dialogue and close cooperation. including on trade investment, defense counterterrorism, human rights, cultural exchange, humanitarian aid, united states, welcome to the willow accords and supports continued efforts to bring our partners in the region closer together. the strongest relationship that we have. and we encourage built through this evacuation and relocation effort. i know is going to pay continued dividends across these so many other key areas in the months and years ahead. what color is done here, for americans, for atkins, for citizens of many other countries, will be remembered for a long,

long time. and so on behalf of the american people. thank you. thank you and let me add that. i'm glad to be here with my friend and colleague secretary blank. and then let me say thanks to my counterparts from gutter for hosting us here today. it is our great privilege to visit and to express our gratitude as secretary blank, blank, and said cutter support for operation allies. refuge was indispensable to the save transit of americans and us personnel, allies, partners, and afghans as special risks. at a critical and historic moment cutter went above and beyond and your generosity helped to save thousands of lives. i'm deeply proud that the u. s. military,

together with our partners, completed the largest air, lived in history, evacuating more than 124000 people to safety. but we could not have accomplished that without cutter support. so again, thank you to the mayor and to our, our colleagues for your help and for your friendship. in fact, we're here today because our work together as partners and friends continues, not only what operations allies refuge but on many shared priorities. united states is grateful that cut our continues to host american troops. to make sure that our forces are well positioned to support a range of critical missions in the region. but our relationship goes deeper than just the fence concerns for working with our regional partners towards some important shared objectives to wind down conflicts,

to provide humanitarian aid to civilians and need to de escalate tensions. and to encourage dialog. we think that's the right way to ensure regional security and stability. and we know that cut her stands with us in advancing peace and security. and you provided humana, you mandatory an aid from yemen to gaza, and work to facilitate afghan peace negotiations. what are on support for terrorism and its willingness to supply increasing leave? increasingly lethal weapons to non state group undermines the regional stability that we all see. so we're committed to working together to enhance regional defences against state d, stabilizing actions, including iran, nuclear aspirations, are force posture here,

and central command. the central command area of responsibility helps us do that together. but of course, we'd prefer a diplomacy, succeed in reducing these tensions. and let me close by saying how glad i am to be here in person. to underscore the importance of the u. s. relationship and friendship with cutter. united states is committed to strengthening this partnership. and throughout our network of alliances and partnerships. thank you very much. shakira. last how the molly or side of the on? i think it was already or what, what? she's know, we stop the press conference and was talked with the 1st question. your english. i have a question for shift mohammed and a question for 6 very blinking chicken. how much there's great concern over the looming humanitarian crisis and ghana standard. so where do things stand today with

regard to fully reopening, how many cars like international airport and getting more aid in and how closely with the us be working with you to achieve that. and secretary blinking when it comes to the humanitarian effort, the w h o says that hundreds of medical facilities and afghans are at risk of imminent closure. because western donors who financed them are barred from dealing with new telephone government. so what's the us going to do to try to ensure that humanitarian aid can be accessed and understand well regarding the status of an airport. as i have mentioned few days ago, we have already dispatched our teams there to provide technical assistance that require to bring their forth and make it up and running again. we have fixed a lot of that and then switch all over there and we are about to get everything operation at

a very soon. now we didn't teach yet an agreement on the way how to manage or to run the airport. but yet, we are continuing the humanitarian support and we are chartering almost on a daily basis, flights with, with the humidity in it, and also receiving some flights from different countries with the humanitarian is in order to ensure that even if you're in passage is often our am is to focus on helping people who wants, especially for nationals who wants to be above, got us done as soon as possible and also encouraging the un agencies and the others. other n g o is to provide help and support to our guns done. we have facilitated field trips for un offices to trying to reach and understanding what part yvonne in

order not to interrupt their humanitarian operations in afghanistan. and we hope in the next few days we can get to i love the way the airport is up and running for passengers and for communicating it as well. the united states has been the largest humanitarian assistance provider to identify the needs remain great. and in fact, the situation for so many atkins, start and were determined with the international community to continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the afghan people. and we can, and we'll do that working through partners and jose, the united nation systems and do it in a way that is consistent with, with the sanctions that remain in place on, on. i can stand, we've issued a license in recent days to make sure that some of the se could be facilitated. and

we're working very closely with the international community and with these various partners to ensure that assistance for the basic needs of the people, particularly when it comes to food when it comes to medicines can continue and going forward as we continue to work closely with, with our partners with the rest of the international community, we're going to make sure that we are taking the steps necessary to continue to support assistance to people who need it based on their needs. so i told him why gentlemen require some kind of cnn shift the 100. following the precipitous american withdrawal from afghanistan, this america is still considered a reliable ally, and to secretary blink. and how many americans stuck in afghanistan. and how many serve holders of you still got to get out? can we get some accuracy on those figures please?

well, of course the us is our most important ally. i mean has been this relationship and partnership has been there for decades. demonstrated our reliance on on this and i, it's between us and the united states and several occasions. the us has been a strong security, bought not to the state of strong economy. boston at, i strong thought, not on data cation in all the fields. i don't think that there is any correlation between what's happening and i've gone on and how the us is looking at the region and the partnership with the agent. especially with the gulf region, from our perspective, that there was a war for 20 years. and this war has ended and we hope that there is a better prospect for, for the future, enough going to sun as

a facilitator and media in this process, we have to support the day after the withdraw enough of the us forces supporting it by building a strong, coherent country, inclusive that have a gap and inclusive government that has the basic slice for for the african people . so i think we are sharing the same objectives for i'm going to have a better future and we will continue this partnership. so all the region and beyond that region, walking together, $100.00 videos and just to, to add on to by my friends comments. i think one mistake that is, is often made is to somehow acquaint our engagement in any given part of the world with the number of american boats we have on the ground in uniform. we have a much broader definition of what,

what engagement means. and it covers the vast array of issues including many issues that were working on together. was cutter, be they security, be that you cannot be they people, the people ties to the education, working on climate change, dealing with cobra. $119.00 and in all of those areas and more, i would suggest that our engagement is deeper than it's ever been. and that's also evidence by the wide range conversations we've had here today with our friends and partners on afghanistan, but also on many, many other issues. with regard to american citizens in afghanistan, a few things here. first, just to step back for a minute. going back to to march of this year, we issued $900.00 separate messages to americans registered with the embassy. encouraging them and then urging them to leave that ghana, stan, given the security situation again, that goes back to march. by the time the evacuation commenced

in august, we believe there were somewhere in the vicinity of $6000.00 american citizens in afghanistan. and virtually all of them were evacuated in those couple of weeks that we were working out of a couple international airport. but it's, it's not surprising that despite the situation, despite the long encouragement people believe that some people did not or could not make the decision to do so. in part, because this is such an incredibly wrenching decision. because for these people, they are, for the most part, people who've been in afghanistan for years, decades, possibly even generations for them. afghanistan at home,

their extended families are there and making that decision is extraordinarily hard . so at this point, we believe the number of those who have american citizenship, many of them do nationals who remain in s can stand, is somewhere around a 100 were in direct contact with, with virtually all of them. we have, case management teams is assigned to them to make sure that those who want to leave can in fact do so. and is my colleagues to said we're holding the tall onto the commitments that they've made to ensure the free passage and safe travel for anyone who wants to leave afghanistan, starting with the american citizens who wish to do so. africans who worked for us, including the special immigrant visa applicants or visa holders. other other atkins at risk. and the entire international community is looking to the taliban to uphold

that commitment. a commitment. it's now been enshrined in terms of an expectation from the international community in the united nations security council resolution, as well as in a declaration signed by more than 100 countries around the world. with regard to the special immigrant visa applicants or, or visa holders. as you know, 1st we had a program that we inherited that was unfortunately, install about 17000 people were in the pipeline at the beginning of this past year . and we worked very aggressively to start to move the program forward. again, interviews for visas had not taken place and kept going back to march of 2020. we restarted them in february, president by an issued and executive order. one of the 1st executive orders he issued in early february, calling for an immediate re examination of the program to see how it could be made

faster and more effective. and we instituted a series of changes to do just that. throughout the spring, including quadrupling the number of staff working on special immigrant visas in washington. i assigned an additional 50 people to that effort, doubling the staff working on it in capital. and despite cove it including a spike and cobit that really put a dent in operations in the june and early july period. we went from issuing about a 100 pieces a week to nearly a 1000 a week by, by august. and we cut the time of processing the applications, breast ivy's, in half. nonetheless, the program was never designed for an emergency evacuation that includes 14 steps required by congress that we have to work through with many, many other agencies. and so despite our efforts to move it as fast as we could to make it more efficient, as i said, when we hit and merge and see evacuation system a situation, the program was not designed for that. now as to the number of s i,

the applicants who have gotten out of afghanistan, those that remain, we're working on getting numbers right now. so many of the people who've left remain in transit moving from so probably 5 countries toward the united states. in our effort to get as many people out as fast as we can, while we had the, the airport functioning. we focused on doing just that. and we're, we're doing accounting on the backend as people arrive in the united states. so my expectation is we will have a breakdown of the numbers of people who, who left afghanistan, including not just american citizens, but green card holders. s i, the applicants, s i, the visa holders, afghans at risk, those eligible for p one and p 2 visas. all of that will be forthcoming in the days and weeks ahead is we're able to break down the numbers, but i can say this of the 125000 people or so we're evacuated from afghanistan.

the overwhelming majority. we're afghans and afghans at risk in one way or another . and so some significant number of that will almost certainly wind up being s i these s i, the applicants, those eligible for the site, the program. and when we have a full accounting will make it available. our 1st question goes to christine and repeating cps. good afternoon gentlemen. secretary lincoln regarding the charter fights a groups, the members of congress say the taliban is essentially holding these flight hostage and not allowing them to leave in order to get more out of the american government . is that accurate? are you aware of american citizens trying to evacuate on the slides? is the state department at all hindering the overall effort to get charters in or out of afghanistan? and what channel was used for the discussion with taliban on this issue? and what did you tell them to do? and ship mohammed as the secretary mentioned, more than 50000 people have evacuated through your country. but many of them don't

have paperwork visa for on work countries, etc. how it has the u. s. presented a concrete plan on how to process these individuals and how long do you expect some of these undocumented evacuated could remain in your country? and secretary, often knowing what we know now, do you consider the us withdraw from afghanistan, a success? thank you, john. thank you. so, as noted, we are working around the clock to helped us citizens, to help lawful permanent residence, to help africa, afghans, to whom we have a special commitment, depart, afghanistan, if they so choose. and we successfully done that already, and we're in continuous contact with american citizens who remain in afghanistan for weeks now. we've been working very closely with cutter. was turkey to see to it that the couple airport could get up and running again to civilian air, travel as soon as possible. and we're also working to facilitate overland passage

for those who wish to depart when it comes to charters. and i addressed this a short while ago we facilitated the safe evacuation and relocation of thousands of these individuals. first, aboard the charter flights that left from the cars, my international airport under the well known, difficult, and dangerous conditions that we were operating. and now of course, we don't have personnel on the ground in afghanistan, whether it's capital or whether it's up north and missouri sharif. we don't have the means to verify the accuracy manifest the identity of passengers on board. these planes a v ation security protocols or where they plan to land among other issues and these res, real concerns. but we are working through each and every one in close coordination with the various initiatives and charter flights that are seeking to, to evacuate people. but i just want to emphasize that there are a lot of issues to,

to work through. we're going to continue to engage, were engaging as we speak to resolve these issues and need to hold the taliban to it's pledge to what people with travel documents, including american citizens, a freely depart, afghanistan. and we've reiterated this point directly to the taller boss in recent hours. as with any commitment itala makes, we're focused on what they do, not just on what they say. but this of course, is not just us. it's the entire international community on these trotter flights. as i mentioned, one of the challenges has been that, as we understand it, there are groups of people who are grouped together, some of whom have the appropriate travel documents in american passport. a green card, a visa and others do not. and it's my understanding that the taliban has not denied .