NATO Secretary-General meets Afghan President

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Source: CCTV.com | 03-19-2009 10:36

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul.

They discussed the security situation, protecting civilians, and the upcoming presidential elections in Afghanistan.

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (L) watches as Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai speaks during a news conference in Kabul March 18, 2009. REUTERS/Ahmad Masood

De Hoop Scheffer promised crucial NATO support for Afghanistan's presidential elections to be held in August.

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO Secretary-General, said, "We will do whatever we can to see that every Afghan citizen can go to the poll, can cast his or her vote."

De Hoop Scheffer also pledged that NATO would do everything possible to prevent civilian casualties in Afghanistan, as NATO forces continue to battle the resurgent Taliban-led insurgency.

President Karzai warned the international community to avoid meddling in governing Afghanistan.

Hamid Karzai, Afghan President, said, "Afghanistan will never be a puppet state, nor will anyone allow that to happen."

Karzai says some in the international community are proposing that the power of Afghanistan's government should be weakened.

But he says his government's foreign partners should respect and honor the country's independence.

The Afghan president says the international community can only do its job with Afghan people's support.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei