MEETING OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL IN
FOREIGN MINISTERIAL SESSION ON 
AFGHANISTAN
26 JANUARY 2007
 
OPENING STATEMENT BY THE SECRETARY 
GENERAL
 
 
Permettez-moi tout 
d’abord de vous souhaiter chaleureusement la bienvenue à cette réunion 
extraordinaire sur l’Afghanistan.  
Je suis particulièrement heureux d’accueillir aujourd’hui au siège de 
l’OTAN les Ministres des affaires étrangères des pays contributeurs non membres 
de notre Alliance ainsi que les représentants des autres organisations 
internationales, à savoir Monsieur Javier Solana, Haut Représentant de l’UE, 
Madame Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissaire européen pour les relations 
extérieures, Monsieur Praful Patel, Vice-Président régional de la Banque 
mondiale, et Monsieur Tom Koenigs, Haut Représentant du Secrétaire général des 
Nations Unies et chef de la MANUA. Je voudrais aussi souhaiter tout spécialement 
la bienvenue à Monsieur Spanta, Ministre des affaires étrangères de 
l’Afghanistan, ainsi qu’à l’Ambassadeur du Japon et au Représentant de la 
République de Corée. 
 
This meeting has been called in the spirit of 
close consultation and cooperation that guides our relations with our partners 
in NATO missions. It also serves to underline the important relationship between 
NATO and the UN, EU and the World Bank who play leading roles in Afghanistan. 
Today we should aim to provide a new momentum to our joint efforts in the 
country.
 
This meeting also signals that NATO’s 
contribution is one of several elements in a comprehensive commitment to 
Afghanistan.  NATO’s security 
mission remains closely linked to all other efforts currently being undertaken 
in Afghanistan, namely from good governance to institution-building, from 
fighting narcotics to stepping up reconstruction and development efforts.  If we are to be successful, we need to 
make progress in all of these areas and we need to do that in a comprehensive 
way.  
 
We are all aware of the tremendous progress 
that has been made in Afghanistan over the past years.  Yet more can and must be done.  We must further enhance our collective 
efforts to ensure that Afghanistan will continue on a path of development, 
security and democracy.  
Simultaneously, we must ensure that the necessary civilian and military 
resources are provided.
 
Our discussions here today offer a major 
opportunity for us to focus on ways to improve our collective efforts.  In my view, implementing a concerted 
strategy is the order of the day.