NATO focuses to support Afghanistan after current mission

NATO emphasizes on continuation of cooperation with Afghanistan even after the end of the current training mission in Afghanistan.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO’s supporting mission and enduring partenership with Afghanistan will continue in long-terms.

NATO pulled out most of its combat troops from Afghanistan last year, leaving around 12,000 personnel to train local soldiers and police in a mission expected to end at the end of 2016.

After talks between defense ministers from NATO and Afghanistan, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said no final decision had been taken on when either phase of the training mission would end.

“We are going to … assess the situation after the end of the fighting season this year,” he said, referring to the period between April and the first winter snows.

By then, NATO would have more information about the security challenges Afghanistan faced and the capabilities of its forces, he said.

Afghanistan has urged the United States, which provides the bulk of foreign soldiers, to slow their withdrawal. U.S. President Barack Obama said in March he would maintain a force of 9,800 through the end of 2015 while sticking to a 2017 exit plan.

After the training mission ends, NATO plans to keep a smaller, civilian-led mission in Afghanistan to advise and instruct security bodies.

In the meantime, Afghan acting defense minister declared that the Afghan delegation received a positive feedback regarding the proposals of the Afghan government shared during the NATO defense ministerial.

Masoom Istanikzai the acting defense minister has said that the Afghan delegation shared proposals on four main areas, including long term to the Afghan national security forces, specifically the Air Force.

“NATO defense ministers assured to assist Afghanistan to enhance the capabilities of the Afghan Air Force,” Istanikzai said.

At the other side, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Afghanistan still faces many challenges but US stands as its commitments against Afghanistan.

Carter further added that the small numbers of Islamic State fighters in Afghanistan were mostly not new arrivals but fighters who had changed allegiance.

NATO’s conference held as Afghanistan has recently witnessed a wave of violence from Taliban in most of its provinces.

Reported by Fahim Noori and Rafi Sidiqi