Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti made a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Sunday to see his country's troops and hold talks with President Hamid Karzai. Monti visited the Nato-led Italian contingent at their base in the western province of Herat to mark Italian armed forces day before heading to Kabul to meet Karzai.
"They are doing a really great job, transferring the responsibilty of the region to the authorities, national and local," he told a joint news conference with the president.
"We are very proud of our 3,500 men spending a part of their lives in the interest of global peace and in the interest of civic and economic development of a peaceful Afghanistan," he said. Fifty-two Italian soldiers have so far died in the 11-year conflict against Taliban insurgents, according to an AFP count.
Italy, along with the rest of the Nato-led countries which have some 100,000 troops in Afghanistan, plans to pull out its combat troops by the end of 2014.
"We look forward to 2014 as a year of change but not as a year of rupture," Monti said. "Italy, like most other countries will transform its support for Afghanistan but will by no means leave Afghanistan alone."
Donor nations have pledged $16 billion in civilian aid for Afghanistan through 2015 to prevent the country from sliding back into turmoil when foreign combat troops depart.
There are several pre-conditions for the aid, including the holding of presidential elections in 2014. Afghanistan announced last week the election would be held on April 5, 2014, but Karzai reiterated Sunday that the two foreign members of the election watchdog, the Election Complaints Commission, would be removed.