WASHINGTON - US and its NATO partners are committed to the 2014 transition in Afghanistan, even though a "lot of work" needs to be done to facilitate greater security and political reconciliation, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said.
"We are committed to the NATO transition as agreed at the Lisbon Summit to be completed in 2014, and we have a lot of work ahead of us to help facilitate greater security, political reconciliation, and a clear unambiguous stand against al-Qaeda and other extremists," Clinton told reporters in a joint press availability with Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal.
Besides Libya, Afghanistan was one of the major topics of discussion between the two officials.
"The Netherlands has been actively engaged in Afghanistan since 2002. Today, we are investing in the training of the police force in Kunduz Province in the north of the country," Rosenthal said.
He said this was crucial because it helps Afghan people to take responsibility for their own security and to strengthen the rule of law in that country.
"We definitely need to work on reconciliation, accepting the red lines, but with the Afghans themselves taking the lead," the visiting foreign minister said. (Monitoring Desk)