German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived early on Saturday in Kunduz accompanied by Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg and Chief of Staff Volker Wieker.
Her government will next month seek a renewed parliamentary mandate for its 4,800-strong Afghan mission.
German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg said that KFOR is nearing the end of its mandate and that its last steps must be well-planned. He met in Priština with KFOR commander, German General Markus Bentler, stating that the situation on the ground was not flawless and that KFOR’s presence was still needed, but that the mission was nearing its end.
German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg has advocated talks with “moderate” Taliban in an effort to stabilize the situation in Afghanistan. In an interview with the Welt am Sonntag newspaper, Guttenberg proposed opening up channels for dialog with certain Taliban groups, but warned of the pitfalls of such a strategy.
