KABUL - NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg praised the presence plan of NATO’s country members in Afghanistan.

“I welcome united countries decision to extend the period where foreign forces will remain in Afghanistan beyond 2016,” Stoltenberg said.

Unlike the United States, NATO has never set an end date to its “Resolute Support” training mission in Afghanistan, currently a 6,000-strong force that also includes troops from some 40 countries, including NATO members, the United States and their allies.

A formal decision is expected to come at NATO’s next meeting of its foreign ministers in Brussels in early December, an official said

Although Afghan forces have recaptured the strategic northern city of Kunduz, its brief fall to the Taliban last month underscored concerns about the capabilities of Afghanistan’s security forces.

A US military strike in Kunduz that hit an Afghan hospital run by Doctors Without Borders, or Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), also generated international outcry and underscored the perils of leaving a fragile country too quickly.

“I welcome the flexibility of NATO countries in keeping troops for a longer period. Afghanistan has still a challenging situation and needs support,” Stoltenberg added.

This comes as according to the recent decision of the White House, 5,500 US troops will remain in Afghanistan beyond 2016. (ATN)