16 July 2003

Afghan Foreign Minister visits NATO Background NATO in Afghanistan News 15/07/2003 - NATO Visit to NATO by Mr. Abdullah Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Afghan Interim Government Multimedia Audio file of the Press conference (.MP3/4588kb) High resolution photos The Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, Abdullah Abdullah, paid a historic visit to Alliance Headquarters to brief NATO Ambassadors and for talks with Secretary General Lord Robertson. The Foreign Minister’s visit was the first ever attendance by an Afghan official at a North Atlantic Council meeting and comes ahead of NATO’s takeover of the peacekeeping mission in Kabul on 11 August. Mr. Abdullah briefed the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s senior decision-making body, on the political and security situation in Afghanistan. He received assurance of NATO’s commitment to the success of the peacekeeping operation from the Council and the Secretary General. NATO commitment “NATO has picked up the responsibility for the long-term future of the international stabilisation assistance force in Kabul,” said NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson at a press conference following the meeting. Lord Robertson emphasized that the mission will continue to operate within the current framework and United Nations mandate, and that NATO is ready to stay in Afghanistan “until the job does not need to be done”. Afghanistan will now also feature as a regular item on the North Atlantic Council’s agenda he added. “We are very happy and delighted to be witness to a phase that we are just a few weeks from deployment,” said Foreign Minister Abdullah, saying that NATO’s decision demonstrates the international community’s commitment to Afghanistan.