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NATO Summit to discuss post 2014 scenario

NATO Summit to discuss post 2014 scenario

author avatar
30 Aug 2014 - 10:46
NATO Summit to discuss post 2014 scenario
author avatar
30 Aug 2014 - 10:46

WASHINGTON (Pajhwok): Amid uncertainty that who would represent Afghanistan at next week’s NATO Summit in Wales, the post-2014 scenario in the war-torn country and the current situation in Ukraine would dominate the proceedings of the important session.

          

US President Barack Obama accompanied by Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will be travelling next week to attend the NATO Summit in Newport, Wales. His European allies are expected to attend the two-day summit.

During a special session on Afghanistan, NATO leaders would discuss effective transition from the ISAF mission to the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan.

“That essentially means that US troops and their partners will be moving from being in a position of leading the fight in active combat kinetic operations to one that is much more focused on advising and training,” Charles Kupchan, White House Senior Director for European Affairs told reporters during a conference call.

On Afghanistan, the main issue would be discussion on resourcing the mission, making sure that that mission has the necessary financial support from member states and partners, he said.

“The main effort there is really, number one, the resources, and two, getting the warm bodies ready. And obviously, we’re in a fluid situation on the ground in Afghanistan, and we are trying to work out exactly who will be the representative of Afghanistan at the opening session, which focuses on this issue,” Kupchan said.

The ISAF in which NATO will be less salient in Afghanistan, but in which we want to capitalise on the lessons that we’ve learned, the partnerships that we’re calling the interoperability platform that has emerged where NATO members have learned to work with a very wide range of countries across the globe.”

“So we will be developing a partnership program to make sure that our relationships with these partners move forward,” the White House official said.

In addition to discussing Afghanistan and Ukraine, NATO leaders would also hold talks on their overall objective to advance NATO’s role as a global security hub, building out the partnerships that it’s built in Afghanistan, and using new means of training, of institution-building to contribute to security on a very broad basis, Kupchan said. 

“This hopefully will include support at NATO for engaging in the Iraq and Syrian theater, and potentially for a new NATO effort in Africa, as well,” he said.

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