Press conference

As far as the Afghan government is concerned I would like to firmly state that the Afghan government is strongly welcoming the expansion of NATO to stage three sometime later next month and also the takeover of NATO in expansion to stage four sometime this year.

We have already have really good working relations with NATO. The troops of NATO, or the UK, the Canadians, the Dutch, the Danish, the Estonians and the Romanians, which are going to be a part of stage three under NATO in the South, they have already distinguished themselves in combat operations in the South. We are enjoying really good working relations with ISAF in Kabul and also the remaining north and west of the country and we are more than confident that General Richard, with his able leadership and professional skill will be able to manage all the details of transition skilfully.

We're also welcoming the involvement of NATO in the development of Afghan National Security Forces. In the past few months I've had several discussions, here and also in Brussels with his Excellency the Secretary General also to secure, to help modernize Afghan's security forces. So we are hoping that we are going to be concluding some sort of partnership arrangement in the near future which will endure our enduring relations with NATO and also their help toward training and modernizing the Afghan National Security Forces.

But additional, an increased involvement of NATO does not mean that there will be some decrease in the US support and involvement. In fact the US will be the major troop and their commitment, their vital commitment politically, military and also development-wise will continue. And they will support us. So there will be an increase in the number of troop available, that which will facilitate to restore stability and security in some of the troubled part of the country.

So I would like also to say for to those people who wanted to destabilize Afghanistan that we, the international community, NATO, are profoundly determined and fully confident and have the determination and will and ability to bring the situation under control and restore stability and make their plans a big failure.

I am, as a representative of the Afghan government, eternally grateful to NATO and all its member nation for all their commitment, cooperation, assistance, and sacrifices to secure the Afghanistan future, and additionally, we are looking forward to one day, we will be able to stand on our own feet. I am personally grateful to the effort, the leadership, the dedication and the commitment of His Excellency the Secretary General and SACEUR toward our shared mission.

And we are quite confident that we will be successful. Thank you.

Yeah, actually, you see a unified command will mean that it will be much easier for the Afghan Security Forces to coordinate, and also we will be securing the involvement of so many other countries and their help and assistance in building our National Security Forces. So, stage three it is a critical time, I mean that it is happening for the first time in a critical area of the country, so...

But at the beginning, I think we had some worries regarding the caveats, the question of the OMLT and other issues but all those have been taken care of and properly addressed so the transition will take place really smoothly. And our forces, that is... or as the Afghan National Security Forces is concerned they will continue to cooperate and coordinate and jointly operate with NATO forces as it was done before with the coalition forces and NATO forces will provide that mentoring capability, also, to Afghan National Security Forces.

So, going to stage four will also mean that a unified command and one body to coordinate would facilitate a lot of different aspects of this struggle.