By NNN-Xinhua
Kabul : The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) secretary general Jaap De Hoop Scheffer on Thursday reiterated the military alliance’s long-term commitment to Afghan mission.
“This visit means to show a few things and first of all the long-term commitment of the North Atlantic Alliance together with its partners to Afghanistan,” the NATO chief told newsmen at a joint press conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai here.
After a two-hour talk with Karzai Thursday morning, Scheffer stressed that NATO’s Afghan mission is “a mission of necessity and a mission of choice.”
Moreover, the NATO secretary general, who earlier visited the alliance troops in the western and southern Afghanistan, emphasized that Afghanistan belongs to Afghans and the Afghan people have to shoulder the responsibility to rebuild this war-ravaged country.
“International community does not own this country,” he noted. “It is Afghanistan and owned by the Afghan people.”
Nevertheless, he said that the international community would continue to assist Afghans in having good governance, fighting corruption and ensuring human rights in the country.
This pledge came as Taliban insurgents have intensified their activities across Afghanistan since beginning this year.
In Kandahar alone, the former stronghold of Taliban, more than 150 people almost all civilians had been killed in three consecutive bombing attacks which carried out separately on Feb. 17-19.
Scheffer described the attacks as militant attempts to influence public opinion at home and abroad and stressed for more coordinated support among the international community supporting Afghanistan.
“I think the international community needs to coordinate its activities better,” he added.
Afghanistan would be a focal point at NATO summit being held with the participation of President Karzai in Bucharest next April, the NATO chief said.
Scheffer arrived in Afghanistan Wednesday.