LONDON, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Outgoing NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Schaffer met with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at Downing Street No.10 to discuss the Afghanistan situation before he steps down at the end of the month, the prime minister's office announced Tuesday.
Brown talked with the secretary general about the progress of Britain's military operations in Afghanistan.
A Downing Street spokesman said "The prime minister also emphasized the importance of building up the Afghan Army and further burden-sharing amongst NATO allies."
It was helpful that certain allies had increased their troop contributions for the period of the presidential elections in Afghanistan, better military and civilian burden sharing was needed in the medium term to deliver improved security, and increase the pace of progress on governance and economic development in the country, the spokesman said.
De Hoop Scheffer has delivered a speech to the Chatham House foreign affairs think tank, saying that it had been a "tragic period" for Britain and he paid tribute to the "critical job" that British forces were doing in the country.
He said the alliance cannot afford to walk away from Afghanistan however dangerous or expensive the campaign becomes, adding that "If we were to walk away, Afghanistan would fall to the Taliban, with devastating effect for the people there 鈥?women in particular."
De Hoop Scheffer has made a series of trips to many of the 28 NATO member states. Former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen will replace him as the 12th NATO secretary general on Aug. 1.
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