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CENTCOM said in a statement it has withdrawn approximately 115 C-17 military cargo flight loads of material from Afghanistan and turned over more than 5,000 pieces of equipment to the Defense Logistics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.