Kabul (UNA-OIC) – NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance is ending its military mission in Afghanistan, but it will continue its support to the Afghan people.
“The drawdown of our forces is progressing in an orderly and coordinated way. And at every step, the safety of our personnel remains paramount. We are ending our military mission, but we are not ending our support to the Afghans. So today, Defense Ministers discussed the way forward,” Stoltenberg said in a press conference after a meeting of the NATO North Atlantic Council (NAC) at the level of Defense Ministers held via teleconference on Tuesday.
“We will continue our civilian diplomatic presence in Kabul. To provide advice and capacity-building support to Afghan security institutions. We will continue to provide funding to the Afghan security forces,” he stressed.
“We are also looking at how we can provide military education and training outside Afghanistan, focused on Special Operations Forces. And we are working on how to fund the provision of services enabling Allies and the international community to stay in Kabul, including support for the airport,” the NATO chief said.
Ministers agreed that this continued support is the best way in which we can all contribute to peace efforts in Afghanistan, he added.
