NATO Secretary General discusses Afghanistan, Lisbon Summit with Polish President
On 1 September, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen welcomed Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski to NATO Headquarters on the President’s first official visit abroad since being sworn in on 6 August this year.
The Secretary General expressed his appreciation for Poland’s commitment to the Alliance and its significant contribution to NATO’s missions and operations, particularly in Afghanistan. Poland contributes more than 2 500 troops to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) as well as trainers to help build the capacity of the country’s security forces.
The Secretary General also noted that ISAF has so far trained more than 140 000 Afghan security forces, a number that will more than double by October 2011.
The two leaders also discussed the upcoming Summit in Lisbon on 19 and 20 November 2010 and the adoption of NATO’s new Strategic Concept. The new Concept will reaffirm the core task of Article V on territorial defence of the Washington Treaty, Mr Fogh Rasmussen said, but it would also “create the framework for a modernized and renewed NATO”.
President Komorowski invited the Secretary General to visit Poland and, in view of the preparations for Lisbon, to continue mutual consultations.