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UAE Important Partner in NATO’s ICI, Says Rasmussen |
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NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Friday announced "positive outcome" from today’s meeting which brought together NATO foreign ministers and all 44 countries contributing to the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force). Rasmussen said the outcome of today’s meeting showed "solidarity in action" by the 44 countries now involved who he said are "absolutely united" towards the situation in Afghanistan. He also announced that NATO and ISAF contributing member countries agreed that no withdrawal is going to be made before accomplishing the mission of terminating extremists and terrorists. "At least 25 countries will send more forces to the Afghanistan mission in 2010" as they pledged a total of around 7,000 additional troops to work alongside the 38000 troops already deployed there. Rasmussen added that the new mandate would be more "Afghan centric," focused on protecting Afghan population centers and training Afghan forces to assume responsibility for security. ISAF’s 44 member countries also agreed on a new road map to protect Afghans and force Taliban to give up fighting, according to Rasmussen who dismissed press reports that NATO is preparing an escape strategy for Afghanistan. That is not going to happen, he said. Rasmussen also said "none of the ISAF member countries expect a quick resolve but we all agree on continuing towards this goal." A conference aimed at mobilizing material and military support for NATO’s Afghanistan mission will be head at the alliances’ headquarters in Brussels on December 7th, noted Rasmussen. Rasmussen stressed the UAE’s importance for the alliance noting and its role to peace-enforcement in the Balkans alongside NATO. The UAE contributes to delivering its humanitarian aid to the Afghan people. Rasmussen said: "As I said since on my first day in office, the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative and the Mediterranean Dialogue are among my top priorities as NATO Secretary General." "The North Atlantic Council and I visited last October Abu Dhabi for an important conference, jointly organized by the United Arab Emirates and NATO. I had most fruitful bilateral talks with His Highness the crown prince, His Highness the Vice President and Prime Minister and His Highness the Minister of Foreign Affairs, whom I was also very pleased to meet today again in Brussels," he added. "All 28 NATO member countries enjoy a security guarantee under article 5 of the Washington Treaty. The UAE is an important ICI partner country, which has also contributed alongside NATO to peace-enforcement in the Balkans and which is contributing to providing security and stability to Afghanistan." "NATO and ICI countries face common security challenges and threats: failed states, terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, which cannot be successfully tackled by any country alone. These threats require a multilateral and cooperative approach to security, including through the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative. Therefore it is clear that the security of the United Arab Emirates and of all our ICI partner countries is of strategic interest to NATO," NATO Secretary General said. |
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