KABUL – NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg arrived in Afghanistan on Thursday on an unannounced visit to meet troops and the country’s new leaders, the military alliance said in a statement.
Stoltenberg was to meet President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer, Abdullah Abdullah, during his trip.
“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,’’ the statement quoted Stoltenberg as saying.
Reports say NATO and the U.S. are withdrawing their troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year, after 13 years of fighting the Taliban insurgents.
However, Stoltenberg took over as the head of the Western alliance on Oct. 1.(dpa/NAN)