BRUSSELS, June 29 (Xinhua) -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday announced that NATO will sustain mission in Afghanistan beyond 2017.
Stoltenberg said around 13,000 troops from 39 NATO and partner countries are in Afghanistan, training the Afghan forces within the framework of NATO-led Resolute Support mission.
"Afghan security forces are fully responsible for security across the country," he said, adding that, "But the security situation on the ground remains extremely challenging. So today, we reconfirmed our enduring commitment to Afghanistan."
Stoltenberg said several NATO allies and partners had committed to increase their troop levels.
The Resolute Support Mission is a NATO-led mission launched in January 2015 to provide training, advice and assistance for the Afghan security forces and institutions.
