Opening remarks
by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of Heads of State and Government in Resolute Support format (NATO Summit Brussels)
(As delivered)
So dear friends, we are ready to start, and welcome to this meeting.
Good afternoon to all of you.
We are all committed to the long-term security and stability of Afghanistan.
Because an Afghanistan free of international terrorism is in the interest of our own security.
Today, we will review the challenges and the progress made. And we will take decisions regarding our continued support.
Thousands of personnel from 41 NATO Allies and partners are part in our Resolute Support mission. Training the Afghan security forces across the country.
Afghan forces are doing an outstanding job. They have been in the lead for three years now and they are increasingly professional and effective.
We have seen other remarkable developments.
President Ghani has made a bold offer of peace talks to the Taliban, followed by the Eid ceasefire.
This is a brave and unprecedented gesture, which we fully support.
The reason for NATO’s presence in Afghanistan is to help create the conditions for an inclusive peace agreement.
That will be a victory for all Afghans.
Now let me thank the media for being here at this opening part of the session, and we’ll continue in a moment. Thank you.