NATO Secretary General addresses 2020 Afghanistan Conference
Today (24 November 2020), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke virtually at the 2020 Afghanistan Donors’ Conference held in Geneva. “As part of the peace process, we have already significantly adjusted the NATO presence in Afghanistan, but the NATO mission will continue to train, advise and assist the Afghan security forces,” the Secretary General said, stressing that “at the same time, we are committed to help fund them through 2024, and NATO Allies have already made pledges for next year.”
Mr. Stoltenberg recalled in his message that “thanks to the courage of our forces, the generosity of many nations and organisations, and the bravery and determination of Afghan men and women, Afghanistan has come a long way, and Afghans do not want to go back to the past.” He stressed that “we should not risk losing the gains we have made; and we should not risk Afghanistan becoming once more a platform for international terrorists.”
The 2020 Afghanistan Conference is a ministerial pledging conference, co-hosted by the Government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Government of Finland and the United Nations.