BRUSSELS, November 28(Online): NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has said that Pak-NATO relationship is very important in terms of NATO expansion mission in Afghanistan under the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and intense talks are going on since before the earth quake happened.
Mr. Scheffer while speaking to UK based Asian and Middle eastern journalists said that he was in contact with the Pakistani prime minister, foreign minister and authorities, "since even before the horrible earthquake in Pakistan and we are discussing what we call Alliance Communication Agreement that Pakistan being in the specific geographical position can facilitate the support for the ISAF mission. NATO has excellent relations with Pakistan; being a seasoned politician myself I know the sensitivities in the region so India is kept fully informed".
Outlining NATO’s biggest priority in Afghanistan he said that it is that, "the international community as a whole stays fully committed in Afghanistan", NATO cannot, by itself, assist Afghan people and Karzai government to the extent that Afghanistan can further grow economically. NATO can create a climate of security and stability, "but I know from my past experience that it is a Herculean task to bring the country to stand on its own feet economically, therefore his key message in the forthcoming London conference on Afghanistan in January 2006 would be to tell EU, G8 and other bilateral nations to do it all together".
He emphasized that although NATO is playing an important role in Afghanistan, but since the problems are huge, " it’s a development corporation scenario, how can you fight poppy cultivation and drugs when you are not doing it together, you cannot burn poppy fields and not give the farmers the alternatives", he said. He added that Afghanistan needs NATO for peace and stability and needs EU and G8 and others committed fully for economic assistance, "but Karzai should take his responsibility, Afghanistan is no more under the tutelage of international community, our mission in Afghanistan is to prevent the country falling back into black hole and start exporting terrorism but the political part has to be played by the government and the parliament", he said.
Discussing the NATO expansion in Afghanistan he said that at the moment 10,000 NATO troops are in Afghanistan and 6,000 more would be added when NATO goes into south. NATO Secretary General admitted that, "when we expand into south , it will be less benign environment than west and north, we are sending our soldiers into harms way that is why these decisions are taken with great caution, it is not always easy, it is dangerous from time to time but we will stay on course", he said.
Answering a question Mr. Scheffer referred to the former Taleban government as, one of the most horrible regimes in the world who were exporting terrorism, depriving girls of education and suppressing women.
Describing NATO the Secretary General called it, "an organisation based on solidarity, and integrated defence built on the essential clause which is article 5 in Washington Treaty and at the same time running peace operations in many countries".
He said that NATO is going rather fundamental transformation, outreaching to the wider Mediterranean region and to the broader Middle East, right from assistance in Kosovo in 1995 to Darfur, Katrina relief and humanitarian relief in Pakistan.
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