German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas sets off on Sunday on a four-day trip to five countries, all of which have a role to play in the continued efforts to get those in need of protection out of Afghanistan.
The first stop on Sunday is Turkey, which is of great importance for the continued operation of the airport in Kabul and the reception of refugees.
Afterwards, Maas plans to visit Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan, three of Afghanistan's neighbouring countries, as well as Qatar.
The small but influential Gulf emirate has actively participated in the evacuations.
Its capital, Doha, is also home to the political office of the radical Islamist Taliban, which effectively functions as the Foreign Ministry of the new rulers in Afghanistan and with which German negotiator Markus Potzel has been conducting talks on evacuation issues for days.
Maas is setting off just three days after the end of the Bundeswehr evacuation operation, in which the air force flew 5,347 people from at least 45 countries out of Kabul under extremely dangerous conditions.
However, there are still more than 10,000 people on the Foreign Office's departure lists, including 300 Germans.
"The military evacuation is now over. But our work continues, and will continue until everyone for whom we have responsibility in Afghanistan is safe," Maas had promised on Thursday.
