Afghanistan, NATO Discuss Further Cooperation After Troop Withdrawal, Foreign Ministry Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar has met with NATO’s Senior Civilian Representative for Afghanistan Stefano Pontecorvo to discuss further cooperation after the international troop's withdrawal, the Afghan Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

"Minister Atmar commanded NATO's cooperation with Afghanistan over the last two decades and welcomed NATO leaders’ position to continue the organization’s diplomatic presence in Afghanistan and its training cooperation with the security and defense forces, particularly the training of Afghan Special Forces," the statement read.

Pontecorvo noted NATO’s determination to enhance Afghan defence and security forces, proposing to establish an academy to train Afghan personnel and administer airports in the country.

"[Pontecorvo] emphasized the security of Hamid Karzai International Airport and its importance for the presence of diplomatic missions and the continuation of international development assistance in Afghanistan," the ministry stated.

Afghanistan has experienced a surge in violence in recent weeks as the Taliban* intensified its offensive after international troops began withdrawing from the country in May. The troop withdrawal was one of the points of the agreement that the Taliban and the United States reached in Doha in February of last year.

*Taliban is a terrorist group banned in Russia and many other countries