§ The Earl of Sandwichasked Her Majesty's Government:
How they will further persuade their NATO allies to commit resources, promised at Istanbul, to the next phase of International Security Assistance Force expansion in Afghanistan; and what progress has been made since September 2004. [HL4986]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanAt the Istanbul summit in June 2004, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) partners committed the resources needed to establish five provincial reconstruction teams (PRTs) in northern Afghanistan. This enabled NATO to achieve stage 1 of the phased expansion of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) (the north). All the resources pledged at the Istanbul summit have been delivered and stage 1 was completed in September when the Netherlands opened the fifth NATO-led PRT.
The Istanbul summit generated initial political support for stage 2 of ISAF expansion (in western Afghanistan). NATO still requires further contributions of personnel, air assets and logistical support to carry out stage 2 and is continuing the force generation process to address these shortfalls. We are pressing potential contributors to commit part or whole PRTs or wider force enablers for stage 2.
NATO also undertook at the Istanbul summit to help provide security support during the Afghan presidential elections. This was delivered in the form of 165WA two additional battalions and the augmentation of existing PRTs in-country during the election period, as well as a NATO "over-the-horizon" force which remained on standby, ready to deploy if necessary. NATO is now considering how it might be able to support the parliamentary elections due to be held in spring 2005.