NATO Ministers Discuss Importance of Afghan Mission
21 September 2006
Secretary Rice touts NATO as great source of security
New York -- Taking advantage of the opening of the 61st U.N. General Assembly to prepare for their summit later this year, NATO foreign ministers reaffirmed the importance of the mission in Afghanistan and emphasized the need to link security with economic development efforts, NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said September 21.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried said that the meeting provided an impetus for the November summit in Riga, Latvia, and "an important opportunity for us to remind ourselves and the world how important NATO is to our common security." (See related article.)
Secretary of State Condoleezza told the ministers that "in a world where our interests and our ideas are increasingly joined, in a world where our democratic principles are our greatest source of security, NATO remains one of the most important, effective, and remarkable alliances in history," Fried said.
The ministers had a "good discussion" of NATO's operations in Afghanistan, success in supporting reform and deepening democracy in Eastern Europe and help for African Union (AU) peacekeepers in Darfur, the U.S. assistant secretary said.
Scheffer said that prior to the session he met with President Denis Sasson-Nguesso of the Republic of Congo, current president of the African Union, to discuss NATO assistance for the AU force in Darfur, referred to as AMIS. Scheffer said he promised that he would "do everything I can to see that NATO can respond positively" to AU requests.
The AU decided on September 20 to remain in Darfur until the end of the year. The United Nations had intended to take over and strengthen peacekeeping operations in the devastated Sudanese province October 1, but the Sudanese government has refused to accept a U.N. operation. (See related article.)
Scheffer said NATO will not be contributing ground troops but will do "anything they might wish in support of this very important effort, in these very difficult circumstances," such as continuing to airlift troops and provide training.
Providing assistance to the African Union in Darfur will not require a decision by the NATO ministers, but can be handled in NATO’s Brussels, Belgium, headquarters, with NATO ambassadors and military planners, he said.
"NATO, on the basis of its huge experience, can enable the AMIS force to continue to the end of the year to do its work," Scheffer said.
Fried said that the United States sees NATO assistance to the African Union "as another example of NATO's increasing role around the world. It can be called on for support in many places where NATO has not been present traditionally and is present today."
MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE IN AFGHANISTAN
Scheffer said that alliance countries have "stepped up to the plate" in providing help for Afghanistan, but more needs to be done.
He said Poland has pledged to send 1,000 more soldiers, Romania has offered 200 troops, and other nations are in the political process to see if they can contribute.
It also is important that "nations do more than they have done to lift their caveats" on what their troops can and cannot do, the secretary-general said.
Afghanistan is "NATO's first priority and most important operation and it is absolutely necessary that we do what we promised to do in filling the requirement for the force," Scheffer said.
NATO has about 20,000 troops in Afghanistan to help protect development and reconstruction teams, but has been clashing with Taliban guerrillas in the south. The United States has a separate force of about 20,000 under its own command fighting Taliban and al-Qaida forces.
"On Afghanistan there is a clear sense that the development efforts and development cooperation must be stepped up," Scheffer continued.
NATO can create the climate of stability and security -- which is a precondition for development, nation building and reconstruction, but development issues should receive more attention "because you will have no long-lasting stability without development," he said.
More attention should be paid to the country's serious narcotics problem, Scheffer said. Afghan officials must put emphasis on the drug problem, but the international community must also "see how we can most effectively and efficiently fight this scourge."
Fried praised NATO operations in southern Afghanistan.
"The Taliban seemed to assume that NATO would be weak and irresolute and could surge forward militarily in the south against what they thought were weaker allies. They were sadly mistaken in this," Fried said.
The ministers also discussed future NATO enlargement and what signal the allies might want to give nations in the western Balkans seeking membership, the secretary-general said. No decision was made, he said.
Scheffer said he had the impression that in the Riga, Latvia, summit the ministers will reaffirm their inclination to increase membership, "but certainly mention the need for continued performance for those nations who are aspiring for NATO membership."
For further information, see Rebuilding Afghanistan and Darfur Humanitarian Emergency.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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