Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

Ireland was not represented either at ministerial or official level at the meeting of NATO foreign Ministers in Berlin on 14 April. Apart from this meeting, there were meetings of the NATO-Georgia Commission, the NATO-Russia Council, the NATO-Ukraine Council, the countries taking part in the NATO-led operation in Libya and the countries contributing to the International Security Assistance Force, ISAF, in Afghanistan. As one of the 48 countries that contribute to ISAF, Ireland attended the ISAF meeting. The EU and the special representative of the UN Secretary General in Afghanistan also attended the meeting. Ireland was represented at official level and our delegation was headed by the political director of my Department.

The meeting confirmed the support of ISAF-contributing countries for the transition of seven areas to Afghan security control. This is the first tranche of the transition process announced by President Karzai last month. The aim of transition is to hand over security control to the Afghan army and police. This will be done in stages, accompanied by training and mentoring for the Afghan forces, which will become the focus of ISAF's work. The process should be completed by the end of 2014.

The meeting endorsed the strategy for the first tranche of transition, which has been designed jointly with Afghan partners. In addition, contributors underlined the importance of significantly increased political and diplomatic efforts to secure lasting peace in Afghanistan. This includes support for the process of reconciliation launched by President Karzai's High Peace Council last year.

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