Upcoming NATO Summit in Chicago Will Focus on Afghanistan
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U.S. Marine Corps/Lance Cpl. Dexter S. Saulisbury(NEW YORK) — The NATO summit scheduled for May 20 and 21 in Chicago will be the first time that alliance members have gathered in the U.S. since 1999.
At the top of list of topics will be Afghanistan, according to Gen. Stephane Abrial of the French air force, who is a senior NATO commander.
President Obama was supposed to have signed the Strategic Partnership Agreement with Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the summit until Karzai insisted the ceremony take place in Kabul last week.
Even with that behind them, the war in Afghanistan and how NATO will conduct its operations before and after the planned withdrawal of coalition forces by 2014 will take center stage.
Abrial also told reporters Thursday that NATO will also discuss partnership capability, “smart defense” and other matters.
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