Merkel makes surprise visit to Afghanistan

PanARMENIAN.Net - Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel has made a surprise visit to Afghanistan, according to Deutsche Welle.

Merkel and her defense minister are inspecting German troops stationed there, a government spokesman said.

Merkel and Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere arrived in Afghanistan on Friday, May 10, visiting a memorial to the 53 German soldiers in the country.

The pair visited the German forces' headquarters in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, before traveling by helicopter to the Bundeswehr base at Kunduz, 150 kilometers (90 miles) to the east, where they paid their respects.

During the visit, Merkel stressed that the world would not forget Afghanistan after the withdrawal of international troops.

"We will be watching to make sure that the political process continues," said Merkel. The chancellor identified the holding of presidential elections in 2014 and boosting the local economy as crucial tasks in hand.

"None of this is accomplished without a little difficulty, taking a little more time than we would want," said Merkel. "However, it is essential so that the military operation does not merely come to a standstill, but that it is a real success."

The visit comes six days after the death of a German soldier serving as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. The soldier was killed and another wounded in a clash with Taliban insurgents on Saturday.

German special forces had been supporting Afghan troops in an operation to the north of the city of Baghlan. The fatality was the first in two years for German troops working with ISAF.

Eight NATO soldiers died in Afghanistan on Saturday, the bloodiest day so far this year for international forces. The 4,300 German troops in Afghanistan are scheduled to leave by the end of 2014.