NATO vows to continue resolute support mission in Afghanistan beyond 2016

NATO foreign ministers agreed on Friday to continue the Resolute Support Mission (RSM) in Afghanistan past 2016, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a press conference on the heels of the ministerial meeting, Sputnik reported.

Stoltenberg was responding to reports that the Taliban militant movement had been making gains in parts of Afghanistan.

"We decided today to sustain our Resolute Support Mission beyond 2016, so we’ll continue to be there with NATO and partner forces to help train, assist and advise the Afghan army," the NATO chief told reporters.

The secretary general added that the NATO leadership was "in the process of mobilizing necessary funds for continued financial support of the Afghan army and security forces," and was poised to continue political and practical cooperation with Kabul.

The NATO mission to train, advise and assist Afghan security forces was launched on January 1, 2015 as a follow-up on the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) combat mission, which completed at the end of 2014. NATO foreign chiefs agreed in December 2015 to sustain the RSM presence during 2016.

Source: MENA