Visiting U.S. Secretary of States Condoleezza Rice and her British counterpart David Miliband call on Thursday for more international support to Afghanistan.
"I hope there will be more troop contributions and there needs to be more Afghan forces," Rice told newsmen at a joint press conference with Miliband and President Hamid Karzai.
She also hailed the progress Afghanistan had made over the past six years since the fall of the Taliban regime in late 2001 by a U.S.-led military alliance operation.
However, she admitted that Taliban and al-Qaida network are still a challenge to the security forces in the post-Taliban nation.
Rice also expressed satisfaction over the progress made in Afghanistan over the past six years and adding the country now has roads, health services and schools. She also added that Afghanistan needs a long time to go as it was coming out of 25years of war.
"Could we all expect that the security situation would still be difficult? Yes, because Afghanistan has determined enemies who laid waste in this country over the period of more than a decade," Rice stressed.
Speaking on the occasion, British Foreign Secretary reassured London's long-term support to the war-torn country. "I come here to recommit the British government to work with you against the danger of terrorism and to serve the mutual responsibilities to each others," Miliband noted at the press conference.
He also noted that Britain would work with the Afghan government against the shared enemies that we have.
Both the top diplomats of the Untied States and the United Kingdom, who visited Kandahar, the birthplace of Taliban outfit, talked to NATO soldiers there in morning, jointly called on President Hamid Karzai and exchanged views on the situation in Afghanistan and NATO's role in stabilizing security there.
Their visit took place amid increasing military and appearing rift among NATO member states as Canada announced recently not to extend its troops mission unless the military alliance contribute more troops.
President Hamid Karzai for his part thanked all the nations that have troops in Afghanistan but added, "More contribution will be welcomed."
He also described Britain as the second largest troop contributor in Afghanistan after the United States and said, "We appreciate British role in Afghanistan and we respect it."
Pentagon Chief Robert Gates who announced deploying additional3,000 troops to Afghanistan last month had requested NATO member states to contribute more troops to Afghanistan.
Germany which has more than 3,100 troops currently in Afghanistan's peaceful northern provinces blatantly rejected Pentagon's request to deploy troops in Afghanistan's troubled southern region where Taliban insurgents are active.
More than 55,000 troops from NATO and the U.S.-led Coalition forces have been stationed in Afghanistan to hunt down Taliban insurgents and stabilize security in the post-Taliban central Asian state.
Source: Xinhua
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