NATO chief urges funds for Afghan army

“I would expect NATO allies and ISAF partners to commit themselves to pay a fair share of the total bill,” Rasmussen said on Wednesday in Brussels where NATO defense and foreign ministers have gathered for two days of talks.

He added that Afghan forces need “around four billion dollars” a year but “no final decision” has been made in this regard.

Afghan military forces are set to take full security control of Afghanistan following the foreign troops pullout by the end of 2014.

“It is less expensive to finance Afghanistan security forces than to deploy foreign troops in Afghanistan,” Rasmussen said.

About fifty countries are contributing to the US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.

NATO foreign and defense ministers are in Brussels for talks over the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces from Afghanistan.

The gathering is preparing for a summit of NATO heads of states to be held in Chicago next month.

The talks over plans to pull out of Afghanistan come against the backdrop of climbing attacks by the Taliban against the US-led foreign forces during what has been described as the militants’ Spring Offensive.

A recent German poll indicates that the majority of Afghan population desire an early withdrawal of US-led forces from their country.

DB/MFB/MA

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