Merkel says it is 'important' to talk to Taliban

Merkel said their numbers are "not 300" but "between 10,000 to 40,000."

Germany has evacuated more than 5,000 people from Afghanistan this month, the majority of them Afghans.

She said that of those who remain, it wasn't clear how many of them want to leave Afghanistan, AP reported.

She says that while Germany doesn't have any diplomatic relations with the Taliban, it's important to talk to the group, also in order to get further Afghans in need of evacuation out of the country.

Merkel spoke ahead of talks on Tuesday with her Austrian counterpart Sebastian Kurz in Berlin.

HJ/PR