After the end of the US withdrawal, the Taliban congratulate the Afghans on victory and want good relations with Washington and the world

The elite forces of the Taliban movement inside Kabul International Airport after the withdrawal of the last American soldier from Afghanistan

The Taliban movement congratulated the Afghans on the victory after the withdrawal of the last American soldier, and said that it wanted good relations with the United States, while Washington said that it would use its presence and capabilities in Qatar to manage its diplomacy in Afghanistan for the next stage.

In statements he made today, Tuesday, from the runway of Kabul Airport, hours after the movement's fighters took control of it, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said, "We congratulate Afghanistan; it is a victory for all of us."

He added that "the American defeat is a great lesson for other invaders," stressing that the movement wants good relations with the United States and the world, and that it welcomes good diplomatic relations with all of them.

Mujahid also said - in statements to Al Jazeera from inside Kabul International Airport - that the movement is now busy securing and operating the airport, indicating that it is in talks with Qatar and Turkey regarding the operation of the facility that was under the control of US forces.

Mujahid had said before that - in a tweet on Twitter - that the last American soldier withdrew from Kabul Airport, adding that Afghanistan had gained complete independence, as he put it.

For his part, spokesman for the political office of the Taliban, Muhammad Naim, said that the movement, after the American withdrawal, is entering a new phase.

Naim added - in contact with Al Jazeera - that the next stage will be difficult, and that the responsibility for it will fall on all spectrums of the people, the international community and the countries of the region.

Last night, Afghanistan witnessed wide celebrations after the departure of the last American soldier from its territory.

Videos circulating on social media showed fireworks and shooting in the sky of Afghanistan.

It also showed videos circulating Taliban militants wandering in the yards of Hamid Karzai Airport in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

The US military said that the commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, Major General Chris Donahue, was the last US soldier to leave Afghanistan.

The last soldier withdrew

Last night, the commander of the US Central Command, Kenneth McKenzie, announced the end of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the end of the military mission in that country, which lasted about 20 years.

McKenzie said - during a press conference - that the last American plane left the airspace of Afghanistan, noting that the evacuation efforts will now take place through diplomatic means, expecting to continue contacts with the Taliban movement from his country and the rest of the world.

He confirmed the end of the military phase of the evacuation mission in Afghanistan, noting that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will lead the efforts of the next phase.

The commander of the US Central Command said that the withdrawal of his country's forces does not mean depriving the Americans and Afghans of the opportunity to leave Afghanistan, adding that the Taliban was not aware of the timing of the completion of the US forces' withdrawal from Kabul airport.

McKenzie pointed out that the United States chose to keep the timing of the exit of its forces in a very limited space.

The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) has published a photo of the last US soldier to leave Afghanistan, Major General Chris Donahue, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division in the US Army.

The withdrawal comes after intensive evacuations that continued for more than two weeks, and despite that there are still hundreds of Western nationals that the United States and its allies have not been able to evacuate.

Diplomacy Department-

In his speech on the occasion of the completion of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that the United States will use its presence and capabilities in Qatar to manage its diplomacy in Afghanistan for the next stage.

Blinken thanked both Qatar and Turkey for their efforts to keep Kabul airport open.

On the future of the US relationship with the Taliban-led government, Blinken said that this will depend primarily on the national interest of the United States, and on the behavior of the Taliban in the next stage.

Simultaneously, the White House said that there is no deadline for Americans remaining in Afghanistan, who want to leave.

And the White House added - in a tweet on Twitter - that Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will lead coordination efforts with international partners to secure the exit of Americans, foreigners, or cooperating Afghans.

US President Joe Biden had asked his Secretary of State to lead continuous coordination with international partners to ensure the safe passage of any Americans, Afghans, or foreign nationals who wish to leave Afghanistan.

Biden said - in a statement published by the White House - that ending the military mission was the best way to protect the lives of soldiers, and to secure the exit of civilians who want to leave Afghanistan in the coming weeks and months.

He stressed that the Taliban had made commitments on the safe passage, and that the world would oblige them to fulfill their obligations.

He revealed that he will deliver a speech today, Tuesday, explaining the decision not to extend the presence of troops in Afghanistan beyond August 31.