Von der Leyen cautious on Afghan troop withdrawal

On a two-day visit to Afghanistan, von der Leyen described the security situation as "fragile." Her visit was overshadowed by a series of deadly attacks by the Taliban over the weekend.

Von der Leyen met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at the presidential palace, along with the Afgan defense minister, in Kabul on Sunday. She commented after the meeting: "Ghani has made it clear how much he appreciates the German commitment."

Speaking about the weekend Taliban attacks, von der Leyen said: "It makes it all the more important that we are ready to stand on the side of the Afghan security forces and advise them."

In her third visit to the country since becoming defense minister, von der Leyen said it was important that the international community use the remaining two years of planned military presence in Afghanistan effectively to create the best possible conditions.

"It is very difficult to predict how things will stand in two years' time," von der Leyen said, adding it was important to take enough time to complete the training mission and not to withdraw troops too soon. The United States has outlined plans to withdraw about half of its troops by the end of next year.

After 13 years, NATO troops are ending their combat mission in Afghanistan this year but are continuing with the training of local security forces. Germany has pledged a contribution of 430 million euros ($536 million) per year for the next two years for the Afghan government. It is the third major donor after the United States and Japan.

jm/pfd (dpa, Reuters)