John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

I am pleased to report to the Senate that the ISAF defence ministers meeting in Bratislava was an important opportunity to review developments in Afghanistan and, of course, represent Australia’s interests. Discussions covered Commander ISAF General Stanley McChrystal’s assessment of the campaign, the need to support the ongoing growth and development of the Afghan national security forces and the importance of complementing our military efforts with civil assistance and governance improvements at all levels.

I reiterated Australia’s commitment in Afghanistan and emphasised our focus on training and mentoring the Afghan National Army 4th Brigade in Oruzgan province so that they are able to take responsibility for the security and stability of the province. I would like to take this opportunity to endorse NATO Secretary General Rasmussen’s comments that:

… transition cannot be solely military and that, in addition to a strong army and police, Afghanistan needs a credible government taking active, visible steps to show that it is cleaning up corruption, improving efficiency and delivering services to the people effectively.

The coalition is focused on developing an approach that integrates military, political and governance strategies to achieve sustained security and stability.