By IRNA
London : French President Nicolas Sarkozy emphasised France’s commitment to the Nato-led alliance in Afghanistan ahead of a state visit to Britain Wednesday.
Sarkozy said his country had no intention of pulling out troops and may even be prepared to send in more under the right conditions.
“In Afghanistan what’s at stake, it’s part of our battle against world terrorism,” he told the BBC radio. “Do we need a new strategy in Afghanistan? Perhaps. Placing more trust in the Afghans themselves? The answer is yes.”
“We have to see how long we are prepared to stay,” the president said. “If all the terms and conditions are met, why not send in more troops?” he added.
His comments came as he and his wife Carla Bruni were greeted at Windsor Castle, south west of London by the British monarch at the start of a two-day state visit to Britain, the first by a French president in 12 years.
It comes after British Defence Secretary Des Browne revealed last week that Nato is making secret plans to change ISAF’s role this year with regard to rebalancing responsibility for security in Afghanistan.
Canada has already warned that it will pull its 2,500 troops from southern Afghanistan’s dangerous Kandahar province if other NATO allies do not offer more help.
During his visit, the French president is due to hold talks with Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Thursday on a wide range of issues that are expected to include Afghanistan ahead of a NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania next week.
He has insisted that France and Britain must work together on defense, immigration, and the economy and called for the formation of a “new Franco-British brotherhood”, saying Europe could not do without Britain.