Global General
Germany focuses on training Afghan forces
(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-01-24 14:12
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BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel is stressing her country's commitment to stepping up training of Afghan security forces, but isn't saying what exactly Berlin might offer at an international conference next week.
Merkel said in her weekly video podcast Saturday that "significant training efforts" are needed to make the Afghan police and army able to look after security themselves.
She said that "we will concentrate our military duties above all on training the security forces."
Merkel noted that German forces are deployed in the country's north, so "we will carry out our training duties there and in a faster and more concentrated fashion than we have so far." She did not elaborate.
Germany has nearly 4,300 soldiers in Afghanistan.
