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Stoltenberg highlights NATO’s future support to Afghanistan
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday the NATO will continue to support Afghanistan as the organization’s military presence is ending in the country.
In a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Friday, Stoltenberg stated that NATO’s future support to Afghanistan “will have three main pillars.”
“As we end our military presence, we are opening a new chapter. NATO’s future support will have three main pillars,” he said.
Stoltenberg stated: “first, we plan to provide advice and capacity support to Afghan security institutions, as well as continued financial support to the Afghan security forces.”
Second, he went to say that NATO allies are planning to provide military education and training to the Afghan security forces outside Afghanistan, focusing on Special Operations Forces.
“And third, we are planning to fund the provision of services, including support for the functioning of Kabul airport,” NATO Secretary-General stated.
Stoltenberg noted that all this will enable NATO Allies and the broader international community to continue to help the Afghan people and contribute to the peace efforts.
This comes as the withdrawal of the international forces from Afghanistan begun early May.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Tuesday the retrograde is between 13 and 20 percent complete.
CENTCOM said in a statement it has withdrawn approximately 115 C-17 military cargo flight loads of material from Afghanistan and turned over more than 5,000 pieces of equipment to the Defense Logistics Agency for destruction.
The command also noted that they have turned over five facilities to the Afghan Ministry of Defense.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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