News article
25 January 2012
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé announced yesterday that France would not give in to “panic” and pull its troops out of Afghanistan this year after four French soldiers were killed last week. The four unarmed soldiers were killed at a base in eastern Afghanistan in an attack that left 15 other French troops wounded.
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On December 7th, the SDA welcomed the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan H.E. Dr. Elmar Mammadyarov for an evening debate.
In the SDA evening debate, NATO's top civilian official in Kabul Simon Gass stressed the need to build support for the transition among the Afghan population by improving governance and the rule of law. He said the international community needs to reassure Afghans that it won't abandon them after 2014.
A panel of experts discussed the future of NATO and the transatlantic relationship. Focusing on the ongoing mission in Afghanistan and European relations with the US, the debate revolved around the need for reform, reinvigorated partnerships with regional powers and new models of cooperation in an increasingly unstable world.
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen headed a high-level panel discussed the future of the Alliance, the implications of the financial crisis on the defence sector and the way ahead in Afghanistan. "NATO's European Dimension" was organised with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, and was attended by 500 particpants. .
During this innovative online experiment, leading think-tanks got together with the SDA to organise a 5-day brainstorm that was supported by NATO and the EU. The recommendations that emerged from this brainstorming event have been sent around the world.
Afghanistan and the U.S. agreed on a long awaited strategic partnership document dealing with the future relationship of the two countries after major troop withdrawals in 2014.
