Press releases

What is NATO’s Exit Strategy in Afghanistan?

The Rīga Conference 2010 was concluded by discussion of the Defense Minister of the Republic of Latvia, Mr. Imants Lieģis, NATO and European Cooperation and a member of the Thales Group, Dr. Edgar Buckley, Member of the Board at the Conference of Defence Associations Institute, Paul H. Chapin, The senior correspondent at RFE/RL, Abubakar Siddique and the chief correspondent of the German daily newspaper “Die Welt”, Michael Sturmer as moderator on the topic “What is NATO’s Exit Strategy in Afghanistan?”

Imants Lieģis started by pointing out that the main goal of the mission in Afghanistan is to stabilize the country and to guarantee security in all regions of the country which is critical not only to the NATO countries but also for the rest of the world. The crisis in Afghanistan can`t be solved with just by military means, therefore it is important that Afghans themselves are trained and ready to start to control their own country. Mr. Lieģis stressed that NATO has to stay in Afghanistan as long as it takes. He indicated that despite the budgetary cuts Latvia has not decreased number of troops in Afghanistan.

Edgar Buckley pointed out that NATO troops can`t leave Afghanistan, because they “have to provide at least a reasonable chance that the government of Afghanistan could survive”. Mr. Buckley said: “We will stay till the job is done. But what is the job?” With the words of Mr. Buckley “Afghanistan is an existential challenge for NATO”.

Paul H. Chapin in his speech stressed out that it is hard to define success, but he thinks that there is an exit strategy and NATO is working on it! Mr. Chapin defined a six-step exit strategy: “train Afghan troops, protect the population, get the money to them, do these things well, use imagination to deal with neighbours of the Afghanistan and “quietly go home”.

Abubakar Siddique turned to the speakers with the question: “What kind of Afghanistan is possible?” Mr. Siddique thinks that there are at least three options, but none of them will be successful if Pakistan will be left behind. Unstable Pakistan can destabilize also Afghanistan.

The Rīga Conference 2010 is organized by the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation (LATO) in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia and the Ministry of Defence of Latvia as well as supported by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, NATO, Soros Foundation – Latvia, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, European Commission Representation in Latvia and the Embassy of the United States in Riga, Informative support is ensured by LETA, DELFI un Latvijas Avīze.

Photos of the Conference are available at LATO photo album.