Deborah O'Neill (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister advise the House on outcomes from the NATO-ISAF Chicago summit on Afghanistan?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have just returned from the NATO-ISAF summit on Afghanistan. I was accompanied by the Minister for Defence. This was a pivotal summit for outlining the future strategy in Afghanistan, building on the transition strategy agreed in Lisbon around two years ago in 2010. We had the opportunity at this summit to be briefed by General Allen on progress in Afghanistan. His brief about that progress accords with what we hear from our Australian Defence Force, and that is that progress is being made and transition is on track as a strategy.

The province in which we work, Oruzgan province, will commence its transition in coming months. That is expected to take 12 to 18 months, and at the end of the transition process the bulk of Australian forces will be able to return home. The work of transition is, of course, the work of training, but pressure needs to be maintained on the insurgents. Al-Qaeda has been hit hard, and the momentum of the insurgency has been stalled.

At the same time it is appropriate and necessary that there be progress in governance, aid and development. Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries on earth, and Australia has been contributing to its aid and development. Work needs to be done as well on political reconciliation, which needs to be an Afghan led and Afghan owned process.

Beyond the days of transition in Oruzgan province and before the end of 2014, when the NATO combat mission will cease, Australia will continue to be engaged in Afghanistan. We will particularly be engaged in training in the Afghan Artillery School and training army officers in a UK led training initiative. We will also be maintaining a role for special forces during that period to deal with counterterrorism work.

Beyond 2014, the mission will change. The combat mission will be at an end. But there will be a need, as was discussed at the summit, for the international community to stay engaged with Afghanistan—to stay engaged in training, advice and assistance; to stay engaged in the provision of aid and development moneys. In Chicago I had the opportunity to sign a long-term partnership on those questions with President Karzai and, as I have made clear here and in Chicago, Australia has an open door to a continuing role for special forces, should that be necessary.

The summit achieved its outcomes as set and established, and Australians can be assured that the transition strategy in Afghanistan is on track. (Time expired)