20 Jan. 2005

Top officials discuss strategy for Afghanistan Background NATO in Afghanistan Opinions 20/01/2005 - NATO Press Briefing by Minister Hikmet Çetin, NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan and Mr. Habibullah QADERI Afghan Minister for Counter Narcotics Multimedia High resolution photos of the North Atlantic Council Meeting with participation of Afghan Ministers High resolution photos of the press briefing by Minister Hikmet Çetin and Mr. Habibullah Qaderi Audio file of the press briefing by Minister Hikmet Çetin and Mr. Habibullah Qaderi (.MP3/15226kb) Video interview with Mr. Habibullah Qaderi, Afghan Minister for Counter Narcotics A seminar held at NATO HQ on 20 January brought together senior diplomats, top Afghan officials and representatives of international organisations to discuss the way ahead for the country. The aim of the seminar was to discuss a new roadmap for the international community’s involvement in Afghanistan. The upcoming parliamentary elections in Afghanistan will mark the formal conclusion of the so-called Bonn process, which has guided the reconstruction of the country to date. A continuing commitment “The end of the Bonn process will not spell the end of NATO’s and the international community’s engagement in Afghanistan,” said Jamie Shea, NATO’s Deputy Assistant Secretary General for External Relations, “And that is precisely the reason why we organised this seminar, to chart the course ahead.” NATO is currently preparing to expand the 8,000-strong Alliance-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan to cover the west of the country. The Alliance will also assist the Government of Afghanistan in ensuring security for the elections. At the seminar, expert panels evaluated the current situation in the country, the progress achieved and the threats that remain. On this basis, ideas and strategies for the future were discussed, including on how to promote economic development and fight the drugs trade. Participants included Ambassadors of the NATO countries, non-NATO countries that are contributing to ISAF, ISAF commanders, Afghan security and counter-narcotics officials, representatives of donor countries, and the EU, UN and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).