NATO chief meets with Afghan leaders to mark 'new chapter of cooperation'

BRUSSELS, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his deputy, Abdullah Abdullah, met Monday with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

The visit follows the Afghan Parliament's ratification of a Status of Forces Agreement with NATO on Nov. 27 which authorizes non-combat NATO training, advice and assistance to the Afghan National Security Forces beginning Jan. 1, 2015.

"Their presence here at NATO headquarters is a great expression of the strong partnership between NATO and Afghanistan," Stoltenberg said, who vowed to "develop our enduring partnership."

"We now have in place what we need to move forward with our new mission, Resolute Support. To train, advise and assist the Afghan National Security Forces from the first of January 2015."

Ghani and Abdullah will remain in Brussels for a meeting Tuesday with foreign ministers to discuss operation Resolute Support.

Afghanistan's Parliament also approved a Bilateral Security Agreement with the U.S. on Thursday.

The White House said in a statement that the BSA and NATO SOFA "is a great credit to the newly formed government of national unity" and that it welcomes "a renewed partnership that will help advance our shared interests and the enduring security of Afghanistan."