NATO parliamentarians Oct. 18 ended their annual session in Reykjavik, Iceland calling for renewed efforts to strengthen the alliance role in Afghanistan and building a closer relationship with Russia.
Members from 26 NATO states approved a key resolution on Afghanistan commending the efforts of its members as well as pointing out the weaknesses of the mission.
The resolution deplored the failure of member states to supply more forces and assets, noting NATO commanders continue to lack adequate personnel and equipment to perform the tasks assigned to them.
“Further noting with concern that insufficient personnel and equipment can increase the risk to our troops as well as to innocent civilians, indigenous or otherwise,” the resolution urged a members to share the risks and costs of collective decisions.
The resolution also called for “a greater presence of other international organisations such as the United Nations and the European Union, and recognising that NATO’s role is only one of the necessary elements of Afghanistan ‘s stabilisation.”
The Reykjavik session also supported the efforts of Albania, Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, to join the alliance, and adopted a wide range of other resolutions from supporting efforts to control climate change to steeping up efforts to combat terrorism.
Iceland’s Prime Minister Geir Haarde addressed members at the plenary session, saying: “inherent contradiction between a strong NATO and a viable European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), but urged NATO member states not to disregard new strategic concerns in the North Atlantic and Artic area resulting from climate warming, due to the current focus on Afghanistan and Iraq.