I have just come back from a meeting of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Washington. The ministerial meetings may have been a nice façade, but I can tell you that the parliamentarians from 26 countries who attended that meeting were asking themselves some very big questions. One issue relates to the reports submitted by NATO and other groups, stating that 56% of the territory of Afghanistan is currently controlled by the Taliban. So the façade begins to crumble.
NATO is currently reviewing its strategic framework. Previously, NATO's strategic framework was not complicated: we went in with our tanks and our planes, we engaged the army in front of us, we won, and then we rebuilt. Things don't happen that way anymore. NATO's strategic framework has to be revised, and the question of security will become secondary because now it is development and diplomacy efforts that will make a difference in the theatres of operations.
Your colleague is leaving this week for Edinburgh. That is called the Afghanistan Regional Command South. It is the nations that are in the south. Ordinarily, this would fall somewhat under the Minister of Foreign Affairs, because defence is an aspect of Foreign Affairs.
Will your minister stand up for this position? Will the new strategic framework place more emphasis on reconstruction and diplomacy, and less on military activities? At present, security amounts to hunting down and killing the Taliban, and no rebuilding and protecting the people working on reconstruction, and diplomats.
I would ask that the Minister answer in less than 30 seconds.