NATO foreign ministers were preparing Tuesday to formally launch a new training and support mission in Afghanistan, with President Ashraf Ghani present to mark the end of the alliance's combat role in his country, dpa reported. "Afghan security forces are ready and willing to assume our patriotic duty to defend our country and to safeguard the world," Ghani said in Brussels on Monday, after meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The NATO chief has also expressed confidence in the country's "strong, capable, well-trained" security forces, while recognizing however that the attacks will not end. The presence in Brussels of Ghani and Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah is an "important symbol of our mutual commitment as we chart the future course of our partnership with Afghanistan," Stoltenberg said early Tuesday.
