| Submit your comments on this article |
| Afghanistan |
| German foreign minister in surprise Afghan visit |
| 2011-01-10 |
| German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle held talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai Sunday on a surprise trip to Afghanistan. The visit came ahead of a German parliamentary vote in Berlin this month on extending the country’s unpopular mission in war-torn Afghanistan by one year. Westerwelle, arriving in Kabul following a trip to neighbouring Pakistan, held talks with Karzai, Afghan Foreign Minister Salmai Rassul and National Security Advisor Rangeen Dadfar Spanta. He told Karzai that Germany ‘will continue providing support to strengthen the Afghan national security forces,’ according to a statement from Karzai’s office. It added that Westerwelle said his country ‘supports President Karzai’s peace initiative with the Taleban.’ Westerwelle is due to have a private dinner with figures including General David Petraeus, commander of international forces in Afghanistan, and Mark Sedwill, NATO’s senior civilian representative in Afghanistan, late Sunday. He will then end his visit Monday, a German embassy spokesman said. Germany has some 4,600 troops based mainly in the north of Afghanistan, the third-largest contingent after the United States and Britain in an international force of 140,000. |
| Posted by:Steve White |