ISAF Ambassadors affirm strong commitment to Afghanistan
North Atlantic Council (NAC) Ambassadors and their ISAF partners led by NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer met with the Afghan President Hamid Karzai on 18 March. NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer stressed ISAF’s determination to support the upcoming elections and bring in more forces to secure the country.
NATO Secretary General and President Karzai meeting in February 2008
ISAF Ambassadors welcomed the fact that August 20 had been chosen as the date for the Presidential and Provincial Council elections, giving ISAF enough time for the necessary preparation in support of the Afghan National Security Forces. Mr. De Hoop Scheffer and ISAF Ambassadors expressed their hope that the Afghan political leadership will reach agreement on the way forward during the interim period leading up to the elections.
During all of their meetings, NATO and ISAF partners emphasized the efforts made to reduce to the absolute minimum civilian casualties during military operations.
The NATO Secretary General also invited the Afghan government to send a team to NATO Headquarters in Brussels to work out procedures for an even better cooperation between Afghan and ISAF forces.
The NAC and its ISAF partners met also with the Afghan Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defence, Interior and Finance to discuss the situation in the country and the challenges ahead. The NATO Secretary General highlighted ISAF commitment to support the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police. The Ambassadors met with the Speaker of the Afghan Parliament, Mr. Younus Qanooni, to address current political and security developments in Afghanistan.
During the trip, the NATO Ambassadors were accompanied by the Alliance’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General John Craddock, and the Chairman of the Military Committee, Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola.