France is in talks with the Taliban on humanitarian ops: Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron holds a press conference at the guest house in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on August 28, 2021.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday that discussions were underway with the Taliban through Qatar to "protect and repatriate" Afghans at risk since this month's takeover by the group. Evacuations are planned jointly with Qatar and may involve "airlift operations", Macron said after a summit in Baghdad, adding that France had evacuated 2,834 people from Afghanistan since August 17.