Success in Afghanistan and improved relations with Russia are vital to the future of NATO, dpa quoted the alliance's secretary general, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, as saying today in the French city of Strasbourg. "We need to succeed in Afghanistan," since "success in Afghanistan will have an impact on how NATO is perceived in the rest of the world," de Hoop Scheffer told a group of students from around the world on the eve of a two-day NATO summit in France and Germany. Succeeding in Afghanistan also means improving relations with the country's prickly neighbours, Pakistan and Iran, de Hoop Scheffer said. In a speech titled NATO in 2020 - What Lies Ahead, the alliance head also underlined the importance of improving relations with Russia. "We need to set our relationship with Russia back on track," said de Hoop Scheffer, who will be stepping down from his post at the end of July.
