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German defence minister makes surprise Afghan visit

Dunya News

Germany's defence minister made a surprise trip to Kabul on Wednesday.

The visit comes two days after Chancellor Angela Merkel and with tensions still running high after a shooting rampage by a US soldier.Returning from talks in Pakistan, Thomas De Maiziere was due to meet his Afghan counterpart Abdul Rahim Wardak, as well as President Hamid Karzai on the unannounced visit.De Maiziere stressed Germanys commitment to the mission, two days after Merkel cast a shadow of doubt on Germanys planned withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014, pointing to as yet unstable conditions for an exit of German troops.In a news conference with Wardak, De Maiziere said: I underlined that the German commitment, as agreed with the international community, is still valid and reliable.That means: together in, together out and that also means a confirmation of the timetable, with the mission finishing at the end of 2014, he added.On Monday, during an unannounced visit to troops stationed in Mazar-i-Sharif in the north of Afghanistan, Merkel said the point had not yet been reached where Germany could say we can pull out today.And therefore, I can also not say that we will manage that by 2013/2014. The will is there, we want to do that and we are working towards that, she said, according to German news agency DPA.In later comments, she appeared to clarify her position, stressing: 2014 is the withdrawal date.—AFP
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