NATO defense ministers will focus their discussions on the alliance's operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo as well as NATO's military transformation at an informal meeting in Sevilla, Spain, this week, said a NATO official on Tuesday.

It is opportune for the defense ministers to talk about Kosovo as UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari has just presented his proposal for Kosovo's final status, NATO Assistant Secretary General John Colston told reporters in NATO headquarters.

The ministers will spend a considerable amount of time on the alliance's operations in Afghanistan, he said.

"The ministers will want to ensure that this year NATO can continue effectively and robustly to assist the Afghan government on the path toward peace and prosperity," said Colston.

They will address the question of NATO's cooperation with other international agencies and non-troops-contributing countries, such as Pakistan, to ensure that there is a comprehensive approach toward assisting the Afghan government.

The ministers will also discuss specific support for the Afghan National Army so that it can stand on its own feet to address security issues in the country.

After their meeting, they will meet Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak to listen to his assessment of the needs of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

Colston cautioned, however, the Sevilla meeting will not be a force-generation conference.

On Kosovo, the ministers are expected to confirm NATO's support for Ahtisaari's proposal and underline the need to make progress promptly on the status issue.

They will reiterate their commitment to maintaining stability in Kosovo at this sensitive period of time and make preparations for NATO's post-status role in Kosovo, said Colston.

On NATO's military transformation, the ministers will focus their discussions on the NATO Response Force (NRF), he said.

NATO heads of state and government declared full operational capability of the NRF at their summit in Riga, Latvia last November.

But the deployment of the force is a big challenge to the alliance members, said Colston.

The ministers will discuss how the alliance can ensure continuing success of its implementation and how the force can be a catalyst for national military transformation of the alliance members, he said.

The informal meeting of the defense ministers will be held on Thursday and Friday in Sevilla, Spain.

Source: Xinhua