Monthly Archives: November 2014

NATO Secretary General and President of Afghanistan - Joint Press Conference, 06 NOV 2014
Joint Press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, 6 November 2014.

By: NATO

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NATO Secretary General and President of Afghanistan - Joint Press Conference, 06 NOV 2014 - Video

NATO chief pledges ongoing support for Afghanistan
The new NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has made an unannounced trip to Afghanistan. He visited a training centre for Afghan special forces. READ MORE ...

By: euronews (in English)

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NATO chief pledges ongoing support for Afghanistan - Video

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on this way to Kabul. NATO hide caption

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on this way to Kabul.

The new secretary general of NATO and Pakistan's Army chief were in Kabul on Thursday to meet with newly-sworn-in President Ashraf Ghani.

As NPR's Sean Carberry reports the visits mark a continued honeymoon between the international community and Afghanistan's new government. Sean sent this report to our Newscast unit:

"Neither visit resulted in any new policies or initiatives. Rather, they appeared to be about marking a new chapter in Afghanistan's relations with NATO and Pakistan.

"Over the years, former President Hamid Karzai's relationship with many in the international community soured something Ghani is trying to turn around.

"In his first visit to Afghanistan, NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg said he's known Ghani for some time and that NATO is committed to a long-term partnership with Afghanistan. After the current combat mission ends in December, some 12,000 U.S. and NATO troops will conduct a training and support mission here for the next two years."

Stoltenberg visited the Afghan National Army Special Operations Command at Camp Morehead in Kabul, where he praised the progress of Afghan commando units.

"I have seen a highly trained, experienced and professional force," Stoltenberg said. "For over a year, Afghan soldiers and police have led security operations across the country, and at the end of this year, you will take full charge of security. But you will not stand alone. NATO and our partners will continue to support you."

Meanwhile, the AP reports that the day also brought a bloody reminder that the Taliban remain a formidable force. The wire service reports:

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NATO's New Secretary General Makes First Visit To Kabul

NATO fighter jets intercepted a Russian military aircraft over the Baltic Sea, the latest in a spate of similar incidents that have grown in frequency during the conflict in Ukraine.

F-16s based in the Baltic region intercepted a Russian IL-20 surveillance plane, Latvias army said today on its Twitter account. The encounter took place near Latvias territorial waters, it said. Ukraines military said Russias airforce had put some of its units on high alert. A spokesman for Russias armed forces said by phone that he wasnt able to comment.

The increased activity coincides with wrangling between Russia, the U.S. and the European Union over the future of Ukraine, where a September cease-fire is wobbling. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization tracked Russian military planes that included fighter jets, long-range bombers and tankers over the Baltic region, the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean for three days in late October.

Russian Air Force command put units of military transport planes near the Moscow and Ryazan regions on high alert, Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko told reporters today in Kiev. IL-76 transport planes may be used to bring troops and equipment to Ukraines border, he said.

NATO says interceptions in 2014 have now reached 100, three times last years total. The alliance pledged in September to bolster the defenses of frontline states in eastern Europe in response to Russian actions in Ukraine.

Russian military aircraft flying without using on-board transponders pose a potential risk to civil aviation as civilian air traffic control cannot detect these aircraft or ensure there is no interference with civilian air traffic, NATO said Oct. 30.

An SAS Group plane flying from Copenhagen to Rome in March had to change course to avoid a collision with an IL-20, Swedish broadcaster SVT reported May 8, citing the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority.

The tensions havent been confined to northern Europe, a Russian hydrographic ship was detected on Nov. 4 in Portugals exclusive economic zone and was escorted by a Portuguese navy ship, Radio Renascenca reported yesterday on its website, citing Portuguese Defense Minister Jose Pedro Aguiar Branco.

To contact the reporters on this story: Ott Ummelas in Tallinn at oummelas@bloomberg.net; Aaron Eglitis in Riga at aeglitis@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Balazs Penz at bpenz@bloomberg.net Andrew Langley, Michael Winfrey

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NATO F-16 Jets Intercept Russian Spy Plane, Latvia Says

Published November 05, 2014

Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, center, walks with Afghanistan's National Army officials during his first visit as head of NATO at special forces training camp in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014. (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini)(The Associated Press)

Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, center, walks with Afghanistan's National Army officials during his first visit as head of NATO at the special forces training camp in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014. (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini)(The Associated Press)

Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, center, listens to an Afghan National Army general during his first visit as head of NATO at the special forces training camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014. (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini)(The Associated Press)

Afghan special forces demonstrate their skills during the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg's first visit as head of NATO at the special force training camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014. (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini)(The Associated Press)

Afghan special forces demonstrate their skills during the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg's first visit as head of NATO at the special forces training camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014. (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini)(The Associated Press)

KABUL, Afghanistan NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is in Kabul on an unannounced trip to visit troops and meet with the country's new leaders.

Stoltenberg, who took over as the head of the Western alliance on Oct. 1, visited a training center for Afghan special forces on Thursday, where he told Afghan troops that NATO will continue its support once its combat forces withdraw at the end of the year.

NATO and the United States are withdrawing combat forces from Afghanistan at the end of the year, after 13 years of fighting the Taliban insurgency.

A residual force of up to 12,000 U.S. and NATO forces will remain to provide training and backup for Afghan forces.

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NATO secretary general makes unannounced visit to Afghanistan

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg meets Afghan President Ashraf Ghani during a visit to Afghanistan on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014.

Stars and Stripes

Published: November 6, 2014

KABUL, Afghanistan NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, during an unannounced visit to Afghanistan Thursday, promised continued alliance support after foreign combat troops leave the country by years end.

NATO and our partners have stood with Afghanistan for more than a decade, Stoltenberg said during a joint news conference with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. Next year, we will open a new chapter. The future of Afghanistan will be in Afghan hands. But our support will continue.

After the NATO-led combat mission ends this year, about 12,000 foreign troops 9,800 of them American will remain primarily to advise and assist Afghan security forces.

Ghani praised the alliances efforts, noting NATO troops have stood shoulder to shoulder with Afghan National Security Forces during the bloodiest days of the 13-year war. While he said he was confident Afghan forces will be able to secure the country after 2014, Ghani noted that effort would depend on continued financial backing from Washington and NATO.

NATO has committed to fund Afghanistans 350,000 security forces at $4.1 billion annually. At a NATO summit in Wales in September, alliance leaders committed to continue funding through 2017.

Afghanistans new president was supposed to attend that summit, but because election results were still in dispute, the country was represented by the defense minister. Stoltenberg invited Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah chief executive in the new unity government and Ghanis rival in the protracted election to attend a NATO ministerial meeting on Dec. 2.

Stoltenberg said NATO wanted to develop its long-term partnership with Afghanistan.

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NATO chief hails new chapter in Afghanistan