Denmark will help Afghanistan after 2014 as it secures money for financing Afghan Security Forces, Danish Foreign Minister Villy SØvnda said in a two day visit to Pakistan.
Speaking in a joint press conference with his Pakistani counterpart, Hinna Rabani Khar, he said that his country is committed to stand by Afghanistan in security and development sectors as his country is securing money to finance Afghan forces through a Danish initiative call 3-C Initiative.
"We have a Danish initiative called the 3-C Initiative, as mentioned, where we try to secure money for financing the Afghan security forces after 2014 when we are withdrawing from the heavy combat missions. But we are also there, present in Afghanistan from Danish side, to help with developing assistance, and we'll stay there also after 2014," Søvndal said.
Meanwhile, Pakistani Foreign Minister, Khar, said that US- Pakistan talks on re-opening of the supply route was not held up by a demand for high tariffs but emphasized that US is completely aware of her country's demands.
"Pakistan is not in any sort of a price-gouging debate right now. So these impressions are indeed incorrect, wrong and must be dispersed as soon as possible. The U.S. side knows very well as to what are the needs and requirements for us, to enable us to move in that direction, to enable us to take that decision (to re-open the routes). So I would like to keep it at that decision," Khar told reporters.
Pakistan cut the routes for NATO supplies in November last year to protest against the death of 24 Pakistani soldiers killed in cross-border fire from NATO aircraft.
The supply lines for goods shipped in to the Pakistani port of Karachi and trucked in to landlocked Afghanistan have been vital for U.S.-led NATO forces over their more than 10-year involvement in Afghanistan.
Now, the routes are seen as important for the withdrawal of most foreign troops from Afghanistan before the end of 2014.