NATO Secretary General Confident Of Successful Afghan Elections

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
06-30-2005

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
insisted June 30 that the deployment of 2,000 extra troops should
help ensure Afghanistan’s forthcoming elections are successful.

Speaking during an official visit to Slovakia, De Hoop Scheffer
said 2,000 extra NATO soldiers, mainly from Romania, Spain and the
Netherlands, would be sent to the country before the mid-September
vote, taking the total number to 10,400.

He hoped and was confident that with the extra forces NATO would
deploy the elections would be successful, he said.

De Hoop Scheffer also outlined the changes awaiting the alliance,
emphasizing that the aim was to strengthen NATO’s political function
which was relevant to its military reforms.

At the same time, he said, NATO would not get involved in the dispute
over Iran’s nuclear program.

Even if NATO appreciated the importance of this issue, because it
related to the expansion of mass destruction weapons, the alliance
not seek a role in this discussion, he said.

The Secretary General highlighted the strong role Slovakia had played
since joining the alliance one year ago and said it was important
that Slovakia had participated in almost every NATO mission.

Slovak Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda said that the
country’s experience could be useful for current NATO candidate
countries. Ukraine and Armenia are among those countries hoping to
join NATO.