Brussels, 15/09/2003 (Agence Europe) - Francesc Vendrell, Special EU Representative for Afghanistan, presented a report on the situation in Afghanistan to the EU Political and Security Committee (COPS) and to the North Atlantic Council (NAC), which met in Brussels on Monday. After the meeting, Lord Robertson, NATO Secretary General, described the situation as "difficult" while specifying that no decision had yet been taken on the possibility of extending the mandate of NATO's international force on the ground, ISAF. Javier Solana, EU High Representative for CFSP, recalled for his part the EU's commitment to help stabilise the country.
"There is general agreement" that the possibility of extending the mandate and increasing ISAF troop numbers should be studied, but great caution is needed regarding aims and feasibility, Lord Robertson told the press. On Friday, during a press conference, Mr Vendrell had urged for ISAF to be reinforced in order to be able to face the insecurity reigning in the country. Afghanistan must confront attacks from the Taliban orchestrated from outside the country as well as the local warlords who operate in various parts of the country, the EU Representative said, adding that it was also necessary to take into account a considerable amount of drug trafficking. Mr Vendrell therefore urged for ISAF's mandate to be extended (for now, it is strictly limited to ensuring the safety of Kabul, the country's capital), and for more troops (currently around 5,000), in order to allow it to temporarily deploy "mobile units" in other regions of the country, among other things, in order to ensure security, above all with a view to the elections to be held in 2004. If the ISAF mandate is not extended, "it will be difficult to hold elections", Mr Vendrell said. Answering questions on the role that the neighbouring countries must play in the country's security, he said that "the role of the neighbouring countries is not to ensure the safety of Afghanistan but it is not to intervene in the country's internal affairs".