NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday 1 June that even if the Allies left Afghanistan militarily, a civilian presence would remain.
“We are ending our military mission, but we are not ending our support to the Afghans. [...] We will continue our civilian diplomatic presence in Kabul to provide advice and capacity-building support to Afghan security institutions”, explained Mr Stoltenberg after the Allied Defence Ministers’ videoconference.
At their meeting, the ministers discussed how their countries and the Alliance could continue to support Afghanistan.
According to the Secretary General, the Allies will continue to fund the Afghan security forces and are considering how to provide military education and training outside the country to Afghan forces, in particular for special operations forces.
The Allies are also discussing how to support the provision of services to enable the international community to remain in Kabul, including support for “an operational airport, meeting international standards, in Kabul, which is of course extremely important for any civilian diplomatic presence in Afghanistan”.
“Ministers agreed that this continued support is the best way in which we can all contribute to peace efforts in Afghanistan”, the Alliance Secretary General explained, adding that “the time has come for the Afghans to be fully in charge of their own future”.
Peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban could resume in the coming days in Doha, Qatar. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)