Paul Arkwright

Decision to stay in Afghanistan has important international dimension

We had a lovely event at the residence on Wednesday - a group of veterans and their families who live in the Netherlands and who were entitled to receive the Veterans Service Badge.  A (Dutch) piper welcomed them to the house and I presented the badges together with my Defence Attache. The oldest recipient was a 91-year old who joined the army at 14! It was another reminder, after the weekend at Arnhem, of the close ties between the UK and Netherlands military communities. In my speech, I recalled the bravery and sacrifice of British and Dutch military forces currently serving in Afghanistan.
 

 
Straight after the reception I went to the Dutch Parliament to listen to the debate about the current Dutch mission in Uruzgan, and whether it should be extended in some form. There were clearly strong feelings on both sides, and a sharp difference of view between the partners in the governing coalition. As I write, it seems unlikely that a continuation of the mission will be possible. This is of course an internal decision for the Dutch government and parliament, but it has an important international dimension which can sometimes get lost in the heat of the argument. As one of the main contributors of troops in Afghanistan, the UK is looking to all our NATO allies to support the ISAF operation. I have been encouraging politicians and officials here to consider the range of options open to the Netherlands once the Uruzgan mission ends next year. It will be particularly important to safeguard the enormous development effort made by the Netherlands in Afghanistan, which has made a real difference on the ground. 

Posted at 14:52 02 October 2009 by Paul Arkwright  |  Comments[0]