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Raab was speaking during a joint press conference with Qatar
Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani in
Doha, where he visited housing for refugees evacuated from
Afghanistan after the Taliban swept to power last month.
Sheikh Mohammed said Qatar was talking with the Taliban and
working with Turkey for potential technical support to restart
operations at Kabul airport.
"We are engaging with them (Taliban), engaging also with Turkey
if they can provide any technical assistance on that front.
Hopefully in the next few days there will be some good news,"
Sheikh Mohammed said.
"There is no clear indication when (the airport) is going to be
fully operational yet...We remain hopeful that we will be able
to operate it as soon as possible."
The hardline Islamist militant Taliban seized control of the
Afghan capital Kabul last month, but have yet to name an
administration or reveal how they intend to govern.
Raab said he had discussed with Qatari officials ensuring
Afghanistan does not harbour terrorism in the future, preventing
a humanitarian crisis, preserving regional stability and holding
the Taliban to account on their public pledge to set up a more
inclusive government.
"Our commitment on the part of the United Kingdom to Afghanistan
remains. We need to adjust to the new reality," Raab told
reporters.
"Our immediate priority is to secure the safe passage of those
remaining British nationals, and also the Afghans who worked for
the United Kingdom, and others who may be at the most risk," he
said, adding that he would be talking to regional leaders about
securing safe passage through third countries.
Britain has moved its Afghanistan embassy from Kabul to the
Qatari capital Doha.
(Writing by Lisa Barrington and Aziz El Yaakoubi, editing by
Alex Richardson and Mark Heinrich)
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