Progress in Afghanistan is visible
ISAF peace support operation was in the focus of the second day of the meeting of NATO defence ministers, which was held on 10 and 11 June 2010 in Brussels, also attended by the Croatian Defence Minister Branko Vukelic, where the dominant topics in the discussion were transition of responsibility for the security of the country on the Afghan government institutions and the contribution of allies in the establishment and training of self sustainable Afghan security forces.
In his opening address to representatives of countries contributing forces to ISAF (46 states) NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen assessed the current implementation of the new allied strategy as successful and that the overall situation in this country was going in the right direction, also mentioning that the situation still further requires the full attention of the Allies, but the progress achieved in the first six months of this year was visible.
In his remarks, Minister of Defence Branko Vukelic welcomed the efforts made directed towards successful implementation of the transition of responsibility for security to Afghan authorities, where he highlighted that the basis for a successful transfer of responsibility was establishing self sustaining Afghan security forces. Minister Vukelic also said that nearly half of the Croatian contingent has been consisting of instructors and mentors of the Afghan Army, and soon the Afghan police.