U.K. seeks help from Afghan neighbors

• Tweet

KABUL, Afghanistan, June 15 (UPI) -- Afghanistan's neighbors have a vital role to play in the stability of the country, visiting British Foreign Secretary William Hague said.

Hague met with regional leaders in Kabul and said Afghanistan's neighbors have a growing stake in the country's stability as NATO operations wind down.

British forces are contributing to the NATO operation in Afghanistan. International forces are to wrap up their mission there in 2014 as Afghan forces start to take on more security responsibility.

"All nations, wherever they are in the world, depend on a peaceful and prosperous neighborhood if they are to thrive, if their citizens are to enjoy wide opportunities and if their economies are to grow and reach their full potential," he said in a statement.

Hague said that, with 2014 drawing near, it was time for regional leaders to make "bold decisions" about their relationship with Afghanistan.

"This is not a zero sum game," he said "By supporting Afghanistan in specific ways all of us are investing in our mutual security and prosperity."

Afghan President Hamid Karzai this week sought to put limits on NATO operations in response to concerns over civilian casualties.

Hague met on the sidelines with Iranian officials, the first such meeting since the British Embassy in Tehran was ransacked in November.