NATO Begins SOFA Negotiations with Afghanistan

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21, 2013 – NATO began Status of Forces Agreement negotiations with the government of Afghanistan, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Adm. John Kirby said in a statement issued today.

Kirby’s statement reads as follows:

“Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel was pleased to learn that NATO has begun negotiations with the Government of Afghanistan on the NATO Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).

“NATO's decision to move forward with negotiations on a SOFA is yet another demonstration of the international community's willingness to support Afghanistan after 2014.

“But, as both the NATO Secretary General and Secretary Hagel have made clear, the Alliance won't finalize their agreement with the Bilateral Security Agreement still hanging in the balance. The message of the United States and its allies in Europe is clear: the Bilateral Security Agreement should be signed without any more delay.”