NATO builds on its support for Afghanistan
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed on Thursday (29 June 2017) that NATO will increase its support for the Afghan security forces. NATO’s Resolute Support Mission helps train, assist and advise the Afghans to make their country more secure, and ensure it never again becomes a safe haven for international terrorists. The Secretary General said NATO was reconfirming its “enduring commitment to Afghanistan.”
Mr Stoltenberg said several NATO Allies and partners had committed to increase their troop levels, and he underlined how the Alliance would continue to strengthen its political partnership and practical cooperation with Afghanistan. He praised the Afghan security forces, saying: “every day they demonstrate bravery and resilience, leading the fight to defeat terrorists and protect their people.”
The Secretary General made his remarks after the final working session of a meeting of Allied defence ministers at NATO Headquarters in Brussels. Ministers discussed the significant progress being made on burden sharing in the Alliance, with the third consecutive year of accelerating defence investment across European Allies and Canada, amounting to almost US $46 billion. Ministers also had talks on increased NATO presence in eastern and south-eastern Europe; NATO-EU cooperation; cyber defence and the fight against terrorism.