‘The price of leaving Afghanistan is higher than staying here”

BRUSSELS (SW) – The NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, has said the price of leaving Afghanistan is higher than staying here to fight terrorism.

Ahead of the meetings of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Stoltenberg told a presser that the alliance would never want to see Afghanistan become a platform for global terrorists again.

“We have to prevent Afghanistan from once again become a platform to plan, organize and execute terrorist acts… there is a high financial and high human cost for us”, he said highlighting the recent casualties sustained by the alliance here. “We know the ISIS is there, al-Qaeda is there, and we know ISIS is working with core ISIS, and have networks stretching to Europe, so this (NATO presence in Afghanistan) is helping Afghanistan and also helping ourselves”.

Stoltenberg said there is a need to ensure that the caliphate ISIS lost in Iraq and Syria is not re-established in Afghanistan.

About the electoral process, he said Afghans proved with their participation in the parliamentary elections that they are optimistic about their future. He said it is the Afghans who would decide about the forthcoming presidential elections.

The alliance will conclude the ministerial with a meeting of all nations contributing to the Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan. “The challenge in Afghanistan is great”, the Secretary General said, adding over the past months, NATO have stepped up our support – with more forces and funding.

ENDS