WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday on the situation in Afghanistan and they agreed to hold a virtual G7 leaders’ meeting next week to discuss a common strategy and approach, the White House said. The decision by U.S. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, to stick to the troop withdrawal deal struck by his Republican predecessor Donald Trump has stirred widespread criticism at home and among U.S. allies. The United States and Western allies resumed evacuating diplomats and civilians on Tuesday, the day after scenes of chaos at Kabul airport as Afghans thronged the runway. A Downing Street spokesperson said Johnson in the call with Biden "stressed the importance of not losing the gains made in Afghanistan over the last 20 years, of protecting ourselves against any emerging threat from terrorism and of continuing to support the people of Afghanistan," a Downing Street spokesperson said. (Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Eric Beech and Mark Porter)

Source: The Star August 17, 2021 21:11 UTC