NATO Will Not Allow Afghanistan To Be A Safe Haven For Terrorists

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in a meeting with New Zeeland’s Prime Minister Bill English in Brussels on Thursday said they will not allow Afghanistan become a safe haven for terrorists.

Stoltenberg expressed his gratitude to New Zealand for contributing to the NATO presence in Afghanistan and other international coalitions, saying that the country was “one of NATO’s closest partners”.

“The aim of our presence in Afghanistan is to prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a safe haven for international terrorists,” Stoltenberg said.

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Stoltenberg: NATO to reaffirm support to Afghanistan during foreign ministerial

The NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the NATO Foreign Ministerial will kick off on Tuesday with the Foreign Ministers of the alliance to discuss Afghanistan on Wednesday.

“On Wednesday, we will meet with Afghan Foreign Minister Rabbani, to reaffirm our commitment to supporting Afghans to secure their own country, and to review Afghanistan’s reforms, which are linked to continued international support,” Stoltenberg said.

He said “NATO’s presence in Afghanistan demonstrates our long-term commitment to the fight against terrorism. It is helping to stabilise the region and stem the flow of migrants and refugees.”

According to Stoltenberg, the alliance will will discuss the progress made in boosting the capacity of their neighbours to the east and to the south, including our support to the Counter-ISIL Coalition, training of Iraqi officers, and alliance’s new Operation Sea Guardian in the Mediterranean.

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Pentagon Chief in Afghanistan to meet Afghan leaders, US commanders

The US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has arrived in Afghanistan to meet with the Afghan officials and US commanders based in Afghanistan.

The visit by Carter follows days after Washington and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) leaders renewed pledge to support Afghanistan and maintain forces in the country.
He is expected to meet with President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah during his visit.

This comes as President Barack Obama announced last week to keep 8,400 US troops in Afghanistan through January 2017.

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