10 Dec 2008
On Wednesday 10th December 2008, the North Atlantic Council in ISAF format met with His Excellency Mr. Mohamad Hanif Atmar, recently appointed as Afghanistan’s Minister of the Interior.
Allies, Partners and Minister Atmar had an extensive exchange on the situation in Afghanistan and more specifically the development of the Afghan National Security Forces and the support provided by NATO ISAF.
Minister Atmar conveyed a message from President Hamid Karzai and on his behalf the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Afghan people, paying tribute to the brave men and women in uniform from the 41 ISAF contributing nations serving in his country.
Allies and Partners extended their full support to Minister Atmar in his new and demanding tasks as Minister of the Interior. For his part, Minister Atmar set out the critical role of the Afghan police forces in helping to ensure security and stability throughout Afghanistan.
Minister Atmar’s bilateral meeting with the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, and his discussions with the North Atlantic Council in ISAF format formed part of his two-day visit to Brussels, during which he also met with senior representatives of the European Union.
Commenting on Minister Atmar’s visit, the Secretary General underlined that NATO’s long-term commitment to both security and development in Afghanistan remained strong and called on greater efforts by Allied nations and partners, in coordination with the United States and European Union programmes and missions, to accelerate development of the Afghan National Police.
