By Xinhua
Washington : US President George W. Bush has urged NATO allies to share more of the burden and risks in Afghanistan war.
Bush met with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer Monday his ranch in Crawford, Texas for discussions on Afghanistan, NATO expansion and other issues.
"I pledged to the secretary general we'll work with our NATO allies to convince them that they must share more of the burden and must all share the risks in meeting our goal," Bush told reporters after talks with Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.
The Bush administration has been urging NATO allies to commit more troops and equipment to the fighting in Afghanistan against Taliban's spring offensive. However, NATO countries have hesitated because of rising casualties in the country.
There are about 37,000 NATO-led troops in Afghanistan, including some 15,000 U.S. troops in the country.