Seville, Spain

8 Feb. 2007

Opening statement

by Abdul Rahim Wardak, Minister of Defence of Afghanistan at the informal meeting of NATO Defence Ministers with the Afghan Defence Minister

Secretary General, Ministers, Excellencies, I'm most grateful to you for organizing this meeting to discuss practical ways to follow-up the political commitment made at Riga Summit to reinforce NATO support for our joint mission in Afghanistan.

'06 has been the most difficult and challenging year we have experienced since 2001. I would like to pay tribute to all your troops serving in Afghanistan, particularly those in the south and east, for their bravery, commitment, resilience and sacrifices. We pray for those who have lost their lives, as well as for their families.

My people are profoundly and eternally indebted to them. We seek to redeem their sacrifices by building Afghanistan into a constructive and contributing member of the international community and making it an enduring ally of all the nations represented here today.