NATO Foreign Ministers Discuss Afghanistan, Georgia

Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze (left) and NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in Brussels

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says the alliance's foreign ministers have had a "productive" session with Afghanistan's foreign minister in Brussels.

The December 5 meeting focused on the handover of security responsibilities to Afghan forces by the end of 2014 and a new NATO mission to train more soldiers and police officers.

Rasmussen told journalists that NATO will contribute to the funding of Afghan security forces after 2014.

NATO foreign ministers also held a meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission with Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze.

Rasmussen described NATO's commitment to Georgia as "solid."

On December 4, the ministers also met and approved NATO member Turkey's request to have Patriot surface-to-air defense missiles deployed on its territory to protect the country from possible attacks from neighboring Syria.

Based on reporting by dpa and AFP