By Zabihullah Tamanna
KABUL
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg paid a surprise visit to Afghanistan to meet troops and assure the Afghan government of its continued support once combat forces withdraw at the end of this year.
Stoltenberg, who became head of NATO on Oct. 1, arrived in Kabul on Thursday and held meetings with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah to discuss NATO-Afghanistan cooperation, including the 2015 launch of the Resolute Support Mission.
Stoltenberg, after a meeting with president Ghani, attended a joint press conference at the presidential palace in Kabul and reaffirmed NATO's support of Afghan National Security Forces after 2014 -- when U.S.-led nations end their 13 years of combat missions in Afghanistan.
“At the end of this year, Afghan security forces will assume responsibility for providing security in their country. I am confident that the 350,000 strong Afghan security forces are capable of securing the country,” Stoltenberg said during the joint press conference with president Gahni.
“Next year, a new chapter will open in our relations. The future of Afghanistan will be in the hands of Afghans and we will continue our support. Our new mission is financial support as well as training and advising Afghan security forces,” he continued.
He added that NATO would like to extend its long term cooperation with Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Afghan president Ashraf Ghani thanked NATO and the international community for their support and said that several thousands of NATO military and civilian personnel have sacrificed their lives to pave the way for Afghanistan's development -- and Afghans will remember it.
"By 31 Dec. 2014, only Afghan security forces will conduct operations but this is not end of cooperation with alliance forces. It is the beginning of a new phase of cooperation with NATO,” Ghani said.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visited an Afghan Commando Forces training camp and praised them for what they achieved.
NATO and the U.S. are preparing to withdraw combat forces from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, having concluded its 13 year bloody war against Taliban insurgents.
Afghan forces casualties on the battlefield are currently at their highest level since the Taliban regime was toppled in 2001.
A residual force of 12,500 U.S. and NATO forces will remain in Afghanistan for training and to give support to the 350,000-strong Afghan armed forces.
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