nsnbc : North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO and its allies have reiterated their commitment to Afghanistan and will sustain Resolute Support Mission beyond 2017.
Stoltenberg asserted that the Alliance will continue to fund the Afghan Security Forces through 2020. The NATO Secretary-General added:
“We will also continue funding the Afghan Security Forces through 2020 and we will continue to strengthen our political partnership and practical cooperation with Afghanistan. But NATO alone cannot bring lasting security to Afghanistan.”
Following a NATO Defense Ministers meeting in Brussel on Thursday, Stoltenberg told reporters that NATO’s presence is necessary in Afghanistan as in recent months hundreds of innocent civilians have been killed in various attacks in the country. However, he added that the NATO alone cannot bring lasting security in Afghanistan.
Stoltenberg further said that 15 nations have pledged additional contributions to the Resolute Support mission, at a force generation conference earlier this month. “We count on our Afghan partners to make good on their commitments, including: key reforms on good governance and the rule of law, fighting corruption and protecting the rights of women and girls,” he said.
Speaking after the meeting, U.S Secretary of Defense James Mattis said that he had gathered information from the NATO allies and partners on Afghanistan and will soon put forward a draft plan on Washington’s new strategy in Afghanistan to U.S President Donald Trump.
CH/L – nsnbc 01.07.2017
Source Article from https://nsnbc.me/2017/07/01/nato-to-continue-mission-in-afghanistan-beyond-2017-stoltenberg/
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