NATO FMs to meet in Brussels for 1st time since 2019

BRUSSELS: Foreign ministers of the 30 NATO countries will meet in person at the alliance's Brussels headquarters on Tuesday for the first time since 2019.

The Ministers will prepare for an upcoming summit by discussing a set of proposals to reform the military bloc, reports dpa news agency. US Secretary State Antony Blinken will attend the meeting, his first since he assumed office earlier this year, as part of a European visit.

Due to COVID-19 containment measures, the last time NATO Foreign Ministers met face-to-face was in November 2019.

The meeting will end Wednesday. The allies are also set to consult on the future of their Afghan mission on Tuesday, but no decision is expected.

All eyes are on Washington as President Joe Biden decides whether his country will leave the war-torn country within weeks, as per a deal with the Taliban, or stay put.

"All options are on the table and no final decision has been taken," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday at a press conference ahead of the meeting.

"We strongly support efforts to infuse fresh energy into the peace process," he added.

Roughly 10,000 NATO ally or partner-country troops train Afghan security forces at present.

This is down from a peak of 100,000, when the Afghan mission was still a combat one. (IANS)

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