MONITORING (SW) – The NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has reiterated the Alliance would continue to support and equip the Afghan forces.
He said this on the sidelines of the meeting of the NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs.
This comes as the US seeks to reduce its troop numbers to 2500. Stoltenberg had previously said that there were some 12,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, half of whom were from other countries, not the US.
“NATO is committed to funding and equipping the Afghan security forces for up to five years,” Stoltenberg said. Earlier in the day, German Foreign Minister Heiko Mass said that NATO should not rush to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan prematurely or peace talks would be threatened.
NATO Secretary-General said at the meeting of NATO foreign ministers that Allies would continue their mission in Afghanistan and remain committed to the fight against terrorism. He said the US President-elect Joe Biden is expected to attend an extraordinary meeting in Brussels next February, after which the Alliance would decide on the complete withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan.
The US-based journalist Lailuma Sadid said that the NATO Secretary-General has told the meeting that there is no guarantee that peace talks will succeed. She added that Stoltenberg called on the Taliban to implement the terms of agreement reached with the United States. He also called on the Afghan government to do more in the peace process. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also said that there was a historic opportunity for peace in Afghanistan that should be seized.
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