Brown plans Afghan handover talks
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Gordon Brown plans to host talks in the new year to discuss timing for handing over the campaign in Afghanistan to the Afghan government, reports BBC.
The prime minister said he wanted the Nato meeting to "set a timetable" for transfer starting in 2010.
He called for a "district by district" process of passing the responsibility for security to Afghan forces.
Downing Street said the London event would not be an "exit" summit - just an opportunity to discuss future strategy.
Mr Brown - who also mounted a defence of the UK's presence in Afghanistan - was making his annual foreign policy speech at the Lord Mayor's banquet in the City of London.
He was speaking following the announcement that a member of the Royal Engineers was killed by an explosion in Helmand province Sunday.
The prime minister said he wanted the Nato meeting to "set a timetable" for transfer starting in 2010.
He called for a "district by district" process of passing the responsibility for security to Afghan forces.
Downing Street said the London event would not be an "exit" summit - just an opportunity to discuss future strategy.
Mr Brown - who also mounted a defence of the UK's presence in Afghanistan - was making his annual foreign policy speech at the Lord Mayor's banquet in the City of London.
He was speaking following the announcement that a member of the Royal Engineers was killed by an explosion in Helmand province Sunday.