NATO Foreign Ministers discuss Afghanistan
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During a meeting of the North Atlantic Council, Ministers reviewed the current political and military situation in Afghanistan, focusing on upcoming presidential elections, the training and development of the Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF), and closer cooperation in Afghanistan among donors and international organizations.
On the presidential elections, Ministers stressed the importance for NATO to assist the Afghan Government in providing the security required to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections. The Alliance will continue its security planning for the elections and will be prepared to commit the appropriate number of troops on the date determined by the Independent Election Commission.
Allies recognize that more effort needs to be made to train, sustain, and expand the ANSF, in particular the Afghanistan National Police. While acknowledging the substantial progress made to date in training the ANSF, Ministers concurred that more remains to be done, and that the ANSF is the key to military success in Afghanistan.
A number of Ministers urged a greater degree of cooperation among NATO, donor nations and other international organizations, especially the United Nations, so the establishment of good governance in Afghanistan, and on-going reconstruction and development efforts can effectively move forward in a comprehensive approach.