Mr. Bouchard put a very important question, and we must understand the answer. People are not withdrawing and leaving. Various countries are rallying to the cause. We must not confuse the situation in Irak with what is happening in Afghanistan. The United Nations see a very clear difference between the two. Canadians also see it very clearly. France is on our side in Afghanistan: it has a very strong presence in Kaboul. In addition to Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, Denmark, Estonia and Australia are also present in the south of Afghanistan. Other countries could also come, especially if we can show the good things that are happening there. Currently, we are benefiting from a very positive momentum. In no way should we under-estimate the amount of international consensus that currently exists with regard to the issues and challenges of Afghanistan.
On February 27th, 2007. See this statement in context.