NATO Secretary General: The situation in Afghanistan remains worrying and the withdrawal of our forces from there is a challenge

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance would be present in Afghanistan by supporting security and civilian institutions with funding or training.

He also stressed – during a press conference in Brussels on the eve of the meeting of the foreign and defense ministers of the alliance – that the withdrawal of the alliance from Afghanistan is a challenge, and that the reduction in the number of forces has already been taking place for years, stressing that the Afghan forces will take full control of security tasks soon.

Stoltenberg stressed that NATO is a defensive alliance, but at the same time it sends a message to all; That he was ready to act if one of his members was attacked.

Regarding

the possibility of the increased threat of terrorism in Afghanistan following NATO’s withdrawal, Stoltenberg stressed the difficulty of the security situation in this country, and considered that the decision to withdraw NATO forces involves risks, “but the alliance does not intend to stay indefinitely in Afghanistan.”

Stoltenberg noted that NATO will continue to provide support to Afghan security institutions, stressing that Afghans will be responsible for the future of their country, and that they plan to provide training for Afghan security forces abroad.

On the other hand, Stoltenberg pointed out that the alliance believes in dialogue with Russia, but is open to all developments.

Stoltenberg touched on Moscow’s activities in regions such as Ukraine, the Baltics and the Middle East, noting that Moscow has increased its military presence in those regions.