President Hamid Karzai has our best wishes for his second five-year term. We strongly support his intention to form a capable and inclusive administration, and to make it accountable, one in which corruption has no place.   It is critically important that the Afghan people, and the citizens of the countries sending troops to the international mission, see concrete progress in this regard.

We are entering a time of transition. Afghans will increasingly take leadership of their own affairs. NATO, through the International Security Assistance Force, will work with the new Government to enable the Afghan National Security Forces to assume lead responsibility for their country’s security, district by district and province by province, when conditions permit.