More countries expected to increase their troops in Afghanistan: Brown

LONDON, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Wednesday wrote a letter to NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, saying that he was optimistic that more countries are expected to increase their troops deployed in Afghanistan.

Earlier this month, Brown met with the NATO chief in London, focusing on Afghanistan and recent political developments in the country. The two leaders agreed that the international community should continue to show its resolve in Afghanistan.

In the letter, Brown said: "When we met last week, I told you of our plans to support the Afghanistan campaign in the period ahead, and the clear conditions that we have set."

"As we agreed when we met, it is now critical that we establish a much fairer burden sharing arrangement in Afghanistan, across NATO and the coalition," he said.

The prime minister said: "In the last week, I have asked my ministers and senior officials to pursue this effort with ten key coalition partners, focusing on increased troop commitments in the New Year."

He added that following these meetings and contacts, "I am now optimistic that a majority of these countries will indeed make available increased numbers of troops, and more police trainers and civilian support."

Brown said: "As we discussed, it is of course essential that the purpose of the presence of international forces in Afghanistan is clear. In addition to offering security, they must train and mentor the Afghan armed forces and police so that, over time, they can take responsibility for the security of their country."

He said: "I plan to invite our key ISAF allies to London in January to assess progress on Afghanistan, including when we move forward with district by district handover to Afghan control. Recent announcements by Afghan President Hamid Karzai of action against corruption are an essential part of this process."