Bogdan Klich. Photo: PAP/Katarzyna Lehowicz

Defence Minister Bogdan Klich has returned to Poland after a two-day visit to Afghanistan for bilateral talks with his opposite number, Abdul Wardak, as well as to meet with Polish troops before Easter.

During the visit, Klich also met with Ashraf Ghani, the Afghan government’s plenipotentiary for transformation, as well as other politicians on the immediate future of NATO’s ISAF missions in Ghazni province, which are undertaken by Polish forces.

Bogdan Klich and Abdul Wardak addressed issues concerning the training of Afghan soldiers and police forces. Klich also thanked his opposite number for the redeployment of two Afghan reserve battalions to Ghazni.

After the meeting, Poland’s defence minister told journalists that currently Polish forces are training 4,500 Afghan soldiers as well as 2,300 police functionaries.

Power shift?

On meeting with Ghani, Bogdan Klich spoke on the criteria which decide on the handing over of power to local authorities in specific districts. So far, the Bamyan and Panjshir provinces, as well as four major urban settlements are to be handed back to local control, including Mazar-i-Sharif.

Other districts are to follow, with final decisions in the matter to be taken by ISAF forces and local Afghan leaders.

Apart from meeting with troops before Easter, Klich also met with the head of NATO’s ISAF forces in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, to talk about the proposed reduction on Polish forces in the country. (jb)

Source: IAR