Opening remarks

Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen. And welcome to this meeting to mark the end of our NATO-led ISAF mission in Afghanistan.

For well over a decade, our nations have stood shoulder to shoulder in the largest coalition for peace and stability in history. We are joined today by all 51 nations who have contributed to the ISAF mission, past and present, as well as Afghanistan.

Together, we have done what we set out to do. With a clear United Nations mandate, we have denied safe haven to international terrorists. We have made Afghanistan stronger. And we have made our own nations safer.

This has been a challenging mission, in many respects. Militarily. Politically. Economically. But we have met these challenges. We have stood together. And just like the ISAF soldiers that I met in Afghanistan last month, hundreds of thousands of our troops have demonstrated their professionalism, their capability and courage in their service to their nations as part of our mission in Afghanistan.

Challenges still remain. And we expect Afghanistan to deliver on the commitments it has made to the international community. To continue on the path of reform. To make further progress on good governance, the rule of law, and human rights -- including the rights of women.

But today, Afghanistan is more stable and more prosperous than ever. The Afghan people have taken the future of their country into their own hands.

And the 350,000 Afghan soldiers and police we have trained have shown great courage and commitment. We are confident in their ability to assume full responsibility for the security of their country at the end of this year.

Earlier this month, here in this same room, NATO and Resolute Support partner Foreign Ministers met with President Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah. And we agreed to open a new chapter in our relationship with Afghanistan. It will centre on our new Resolute Support mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan security forces. We will also contribute to the financing of the Afghan security forces. And we will deepen our dialogue and our practical cooperation by developing a mutually beneficial long-term partnership.

Alongside all 28 NATO Allies, several of our partners will again contribute to our new mission. It shows our strong determination to preserve the gains that we have made together. To help our Afghan partners to build on those gains. And to meet the challenges that remain.

None of this would have been possible without the contributions made by the nations around this table. Your troops and civilians put their lives on the line. Many have been wounded in the course of their duty. And more than 3,500 have paid the highest price. We owe them, and their families, our deepest respect.

I would ask you now to please join me in a moment of silence. To pay tribute to those who have been injured and to those who have fallen. They will not be forgotten.