Germany warns against hasty pullout from Afghanistan

Mazar-i-sharif (Pajhwok): Deputy spokesman for 209^th Shaheen Military Corps Nasratullah Jamshid told Pajhwok Afghan News that German defence minister met Afghan security and NATO officials in Mazar-i-Sharif on Sunday.

Afghanistan was still far from ready to take responsibility for its own security, the minister said during her visit to Mazar-i-Sharif, where she met local officials.

Speaking German troops during a visit to the Bundeswehr base in the capital of northern Balkh province, she said: "It is not a question of a timeframe that must be stubbornly stuck to."

She argued the length of the NATO mission in Afghanistan was linked to improvement in the overall security environment. "We need patience and staying power," the visiting minister remarked.

Meanwhile, the 209th Military Corps said support to Afghan forces, particularly in the north, was discussed during the meeting with German delegation

German troops would keep supporting Afghan people within the NATO mission until the fulfillment of peace and stability in the war-torn country, she promised.

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