Secretary General stresses NATO commitment to Afghanistan

NATO Secretary General Mr. Jens Stoltenberg arrived in Afghanistan on Tuesday to meet with top Afghan officials.

Stoltenberg welcomed the Afghan leader and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah’s acceptance of an invitation to attend NATO’s Warsaw Summit, to be held on July 8-9.

“This will be an opportunity to review our joint efforts, and to deepen the relationship between NATO and Afghanistan even more,” General Mr. Jens Stoltenberg said, adding that the military alliance continued to provide financial support to the Afghan forces.

The Secretary General stressed that “Afghan forces do not stand alone,” and highlighted that NATO Allies and partners have been working side-by-side with Afghanistan for over a decade.

“Today, NATO continues to support the Afghan forces with training, advice and assistance through the Resolute Support mission. And we continue to provide financial support to the Afghan forces.

So that the Afghan forces can become sustainable in the long-term, protecting the Afghan people and suppressing terrorism,” said Mr. Stoltenberg. He added that NATO remains committed to support Afghanistan in the long-term, through political partnership and practical support.

The NATO chief noted that the alliance intended to announce future support plans for Afghanistan during the upcoming summit.

“Today, NATO continues to support the Afghan forces with training, advice and assistance through the Resolute Support mission,” Stoltenberg said alongside Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul.

Separately, the Secretary General met with General John Nicholson, the new Commander of the Resolute Support mission, and Ambassador Ismail Aramaz, NATO’s Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan.