“I welcome President Obama’s speech. The prospects for withdrawal are now becoming clearer. This is something that the international community, including Germany, has been working hard on for over a year.The speech is a clear commitment on the part of the USA to the internationally agreed strategy in Afghanistan to gradually transfer responsibility for security in the country to Afghanistan itself and use the capacity freed by doing so to reduce the number of international troops.Like the U.S., Germany will also do its part to see that the international strategy is implemented responsibly. It is also our goal to be able to reduce the number of German troops for the first time at the end of the year.I also welcome President Obama’s emphasis on the necessity of the political process in Afghanistan. On this point, the German Government agrees with our American partners: the stabilization of Afghanistan cannot be achieved without a successful political process and reconciliation within the country.”