(VOVWORLD) - The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) pledged to extend financial help to the Afghan army until 2024, officials said on Wednesday at the 2-day NATO Summit in Brussels.
 NATO headquarter in Brussel, Belgium (Photo: nato.int) |
It promised to ensure sustainable security and stability in Afghanistan and called for stronger collaboration to fight terrorism, improve Afghan economic development, and assist the Afghan government’s peace progress. NATO called on Pakistan, Iran, and Russia to contribute to regional stability by helping in Afghanistan’s peace process.
NATO’s aid program in Afghanistan began in 2015 with 13,000 soldiers responsible for training local security forces to fight terrorists and rebels, including the Taliban and the Islamic State.
The US will provide 70% of NATO defense spending this year, 706 billion USD out of 1 trillion spent by all 29 members, the organization reported. At the summit, US President Donald Trump asked other NATO countries to increase their defense spending to 4% of their GDP.
NATO members called for a complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization on the Korean peninsula. They expressed concern over Iran’s recent missile tests, and said Russia’s activities have decreased regional security and stability.