Jaishankar, German counterpart discuss evacuation challenges in Afghanistan

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said he received a phone call from German foreign minister Heiko Mass during which they discussed the evacuation challenges in Afghanistan.

"Appreciate the call from Foreign Minister @HeikoMaas of Germany. Discussed the evacuation challenges in Afghanistan and the policy implications of the changes there," Jaishankar tweeted.

Afghanistan's future is hanging in balance as the country's government collapsed on Sunday soon after President Ashraf Ghani fled Kabul.

The Taliban entered the presidential palace in the Afghan capital on Sunday and declared its victory over the government.

Efforts are being made to maintain stability in Afghanistan. However, thousands of people are rushing to the airport to flee the nation as they are afraid of the terror group's brutal atrocities in the nation.

Several countries including India and Germany are evacuating their citizens from the war-torn country as uncertainty and fear following the Taliban takeover grow.

Earlier in the day, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said "The [Afghan] army collapsed at a breathtaking pace," Merkel said at an election event. "We had expected the resistance to be stronger."

Merkel said the focus now was on rescuing people from Afghanistan, but later there would need to be a discussion on what had or had not been achieved.