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Meeting on Afghanistan on the Occasion of
the NATO Chicago Summit
(Overview)

May 28, 2012

On May 21, 2012, the Meeting on Afghanistan was held on the occasion of the NATO Chicago Summit. The following is an overview of the outcomes of the meeting. (Approximately 60 nations and international organizations attended the meeting. In addition to NATO member and non-member nations contributing troops to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) as well as the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Japan, the Russian Federation, Central Asian nations, the European Union (EU) and the United Nations also attended the meeting. Minister for Foreign Affairs H.E. Mr. Koichiro Gemba represented the Government of Japan. After the meeting, a document was issued by the nations contributing to ISAF and Afghanistan.

1. Transition and NATO’s Mission beyond 2014

  1. (1) The NATO Commander in Afghanistan and others explained that the transition process is on track. The conference participants approved and expressed their support for the schedule as a milestone at the process under which the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) would take the lead for security before the end of 2013, with ISAF playing a supporting role, and ISAF would withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.
  2. (2) Furthermore, it was announced that NATO’s mission would shift from a combat mission through the end of 2014 to a training, advising and assisting mission beyond 2014 and this was supported by the conference participants.

2. Assistance for the ANSF

  1. (1) The conference participants expressed that they would continue to assist the ANSF beyond 2014 for the sustainable stability of Afghanistan, issuing a strategic message that the ANSF would be sustainable beyond 2014.
  2. (2) Minister Gemba stated that Japan had been supporting the improvement in both “quality” and “quantity” of the security forces and that it intended to continue with its appropriate assistance to the ANSF going beyond 2014.

3. The Tokyo Conference

  1. (1) Minister Gemba stated that Japan would host the Tokyo Conference on Afghanistan on July 8, 2012, inviting approximately 70 countries and international organizations. He explained the basic idea of the conference as follows: Afghanistan and the international community will make mutual commitments; and the Tokyo Conference will set up a follow-up mechanism in which mutual commitments will be reviewed by both Afghanistan and the international community in a series of biennial ministerial conferences. Looking beyond 2014, he expressed expectations that the nations concerned would continue to provide robust assistance.
  2. (2) In response to Minister Gemba’s statement, President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and other conference participants expressed their strong support and great expectations for the Tokyo Conference, saying that the conference, along with the NATO Chicago Summit, was important for the sustained stability and development of Afghanistan beyond 2014.

4. Governance

The conference participants stated that improvement in governance such as progress in anti-corruption measures and the implementation of fair elections would be indispensable preconditions for their assistance for security and development of Afghanistan. The Afghan President Karzai expressed his strong resolve for improvement in governance, including the implementation of a free and neutral election in 2014.

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