BRUSSELS, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- NATO says Afghanistan's efforts to meet its security commitments in 2014 will pave the way for continued international support.
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen unveiled an in-depth report Monday on NATO's security responsibilities for the year.
NATO-led combat operations in Afghanistan draw to a close this year as Afghan forces take the lead in security operations according to the terms of a multilateral agreement brokered in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2010.
This year, he said, marks a "new chapter" in the relationship between NATO and Afghanistan as both parties look toward the future.
"The ongoing efforts of the government of Afghanistan to meet its commitments will pave the way for the continued support of the international community in the years to come," the secretary-general's annual report said.
Starting in January 2015, the NATO mission in Afghanistan will shift to a non-combat training and advisory effort dubbed Resolute Support.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has come under pressure to sign security agreements that would outline to what extent Western militaries will stay engaged beyond 2014. The United States, the lead military contributor to the Afghan mission, said defense planning is complicated without an agreement.
