Security handover a real progress: UK envoy

KABUL Sir Richard Stagg on Tuesday welcomed the announcement of the fifth and final tranche of the security transition by President Hamid Karzai, calling it a real and tangible progress.

In a statement, Stagg said: “This morning, I attended a ceremony to mark the transition of security across the whole of the country to an Afghan lead.  In what has been a challenging journey, today’s event is a visible sign of the progress that has been made in Afghanistan.”

He said while significant challenges remained, the Afghan government and people could feel justifiably proud of their achievements. 

The envoy said the Afghan national security forces continued to develop every day and the United Kingdom was committed to supporting their long-term development through £70 million of annual financial support after 2014 and through a training, advising and assisting role that included British support for the Afghan National Army Officer Academy. 

“This is an important part of the United Kingdom’s enduring commitment to Afghanistan that will continue well beyond 2014.”

pr/ma