Afghan police and soldiers should be responsible for Afghan security by 2014, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said during an international meeting hosted in Kabul.
Speaking at the first international conference on Afghanistan held in the war-torn nation, Karzai told representatives from roughly 70 nations and organizations that he is "determined that our Afghan security forces will be responsible for all military and law enforcement operations" throughout the country by 2014.
The president did not outline exactly when the transition would begin or how it would be managed.
Canada plans on ending its combat mission in Afghanistan in 2011, and U.S. President Barack Obama has said he would like to start pulling military forces out of the country in July 2011.
Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon told reporters he is "quite confident" that Karzai and NATO forces "will be able to meet these targets as they are coming forward."
Though Canada's combat mission is slated to end, Cannon said Canada will continue to support Afghanistan by supporting human rights and development.
Cannon also said Canada would be willing to support reconciliation to bring peace to Afghanistan — but only if a number of criteria are met first.
"We encourage a reconciliation process that is inclusive of all Afghans, no matter their ethnicity, tribe or gender," Cannon said. "Those who are reconciling must renounce violence, accept the Afghan constitution and cut all ties to terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda."
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged growing opposition to international involvement in the conflict amid the rising death toll of foreign troops in the country. But she told the audience that the planned drawdown of U.S. forces was not a sign of a waning commitment to the country.
"The July 2011 date captures both our sense of urgency and the strength of our resolve," she said of U.S. plans to accelerate the process of turning over security to Afghanistan's police and military, saying the transition is too important to push off indefinitely.
"But this date is the start of a new phase, not the end of our involvement," Clinton told representatives at the conference.
Cannon also called on Afghanistan to address corruption in its justice system, and in the wake of last year's controversial presidential election, he encouraged the country to embrace electoral reform.
Afghan control needed: Karzai
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the alliance will never allow the Taliban to topple the government of Afghanistan. But he said that the transition to Afghan-led security would be based on "conditions, not calendars."
Karzai also expressed his government's desire to take charge of more of its own affairs, asking his international partners to channel 50 per cent of their foreign assistance through the government within two years.
He also urged them to align 80 per cent of their projects with priorities that have been identified by Afghans.
"It is time to concentrate our efforts on a limited number of national programs and projects to transform the lives of our people, reinforce the social compact between the state and the citizens," Karzai said.
The Afghan president also promised to move forward on good governance initiatives and to tackle corruption and concerns surrounding women's rights.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is co-hosting the Kabul conference, which is looking at how to transfer control of the country to the Afghan people. The UN leader promised a future where the wishes of the Afghan people are respected.
"At times, we have shown insufficient consideration for Afghan culture and history," he said. "The Kabul process, upon which we embark today, is intended to do better."
Security was tight for the international conference, with thousands of Afghan soldiers and police patrolling the streets of Kabul. Rockets fired at the Kabul airport Tuesday forced the diversion of a plane carrying the UN secretary general and Sweden's foreign minister.
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