Boris Johnson announces plans to convene G7 meeting over Afghanistan

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he will convene a meeting of leaders from the Group of Seven nations on Tuesday for “urgent talks on the situation in Afghanistan.”

Johnson revealed the plan in a statement posted on Twitter.

He says it’s “vital that the international community works together to ensure safe evacuations, prevent a humanitarian crisis and support the Afghan people to secure the gains of the last 20 years.”

The U.K. holds this year’s presidency of the G7 nations, which is also made up of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.

There was no immediate word from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s camp on whether he would take time away from the election campaign to attend the meeting.

Trudeau has faced criticism in recent days for not acting fast enough to evacuate Afghans who supported Canada’s military and diplomatic efforts in the war-torn country.

So far, three Canadian planes have carried evacuees out of the chaotic Kabul airport.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 22, 2021.