Tokyo, Aug 25 (AP) Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga says Japan plans to prioritize the safe evacuation of Japanese citizens and embassy staff out of Afghanistan using Self-Defense Force aircraft.

He also said Wednesday that Japan will closely cooperate with Group of Seven leading industrial nations and other countries “to stop Afghanistan from becoming the hotbed of terrorism again, to avoid an ongoing humanitarian crisis there and to protect the rights of women.”

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Stability and recovery of the geopolitically important country “is in Japan's strong national interest,” he said.

Japan, starting Monday, sent three Self-Defense Force transport aircraft — a C-2 and two C-130s — to evacuate Japanese nationals and local staff who worked for the embassy and Japanese development agencies.

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Asked if Tokyo is willing to accept refugees from Afghanistan, Suga did not give a clear answer, saying only: “Japan will cooperate with other involved nations while paying attention to the situation each country faces.” (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)