Foreign Secretary reaffirms UK support for Afghanistan
Foreign Secretary welcomes growing capability of the Afghan National Security Forces during meeting with Afghan Defence Minister.
William Hague and Bismellah Mohammadi
Foreign Secretary William Hague & Foreign Office Minister Baroness Warsi discussed progress in security transition in Afghanistan when they met Bismellah Mohammadi during his first visit to the UK as Afghan Defence Minister.
Speaking after the meeting, the Foreign Secretary said:
I was delighted to meet Afghanistan Defence Minister Mohammadi today. We noted the increasing capability of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and the rapid progress on transition of responsibility for security. We looked forward to the ANSF taking the nationwide lead for security in mid-2013. Clearly the ANSF still face considerable challenges, particularly on how to ensure proper adherence to the rule of law and respect for human rights. I reaffirmed that the UK, as part of the international community, will continue to work closely with the Afghan Government on these issues.
We also discussed developments in Afghanistan more broadly. I welcomed the progress made earlier this month at the Chequers Summit, where the Governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan reaffirmed their commitment to an Afghan-led peace process and the need for a strong bilateral relationship. We discussed progress on implementing the Pakistan/Afghanistan agreements on military cooperation made at Chequers.
During his UK visit the Defence Minister also met Secretary of State for Defence and visited Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
Further Information
Read more about the government policy Establishing stability in Afghanistan