By IANS,
United Nations : Britain’s permanent representative to the UN has praised steps taken towards making Afghanistan more secure, a media report said.
“Despite the challenges, significant progress has been made on the road to a secure and viable Afghanistan,” Xinhua quoted Mark Lyall Grant as saying at a Security Council meeting Wednesday.
Afghanistan is due to take over its own security duties from international coalition forces by the end of 2014. The Afghan National Security Forces are due to grow in size as the coalition forces withdraw from the country in the coming years.
Agreeing on settlements regarding outstanding political issues in Afghanistan is essential to the embattled country’s success, Grant said.
“An Afghan-led political process is needed to underpin the military progress. To be durable, any political settlement must be inclusive and must respect the interests and rights of all Afghan citizens,” he said.
He said the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) must support political progress towards a democratic and inclusive state that can hold free and fair elections.