We are standing at a historic turning point. As we announced in 2009 and have carefully prepared, we will be ending our combat engagement in Afghanistan at the end of 2014, after more than ten years.
After 2014 we will continue to take our commitment to the positive development of Afghanistan very seriously. We stand by our pledges of civilian support. And we are supporting stability through our engagement in training security forces so that Afghanistan never again becomes a stronghold of international terrorism.
Our offer to the international community and to Afghanistan sends a clear signal of responsibility: we are continuing to work with our partners for a good future for the people of Afghanistan.