Brussels (Brussels Morning) Italian Army Lieutenant General Nicola Zanelli succeeds Giles Hill, Lieutenant General of the British Army, as Deputy Commander of the NATO Resolute Support mission to Afghanistan, according to a NATO report released last week.
Lt. Gen. Hill thanked US General Scott Miller, Resolute Support Commander, for his leadership and pointed out that Afghanistan is closer to peace thanks to the efforts of NATO members and allies providing in-country support to the nation’s security forces. Lt. Gen. Zanelli noted the Italian contingent’s commitment to the Resolute Support mission, so vital in maintaining the gains made on the “path towards lasting peace in Afghanistan.”
Stoltenberg’s statements
At the meeting of NATO foreign ministers at the start of the month, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed that all members remain committed to supporting security forces in Afghanistan in their fight against terrorism. He added that members remain committed to providing financial support to Afghanistan’s security forces through 2024, in a peace process he described as Afghan-owned and Afghan-led.
The launch of Resolute Support in 2015 followed the conclusion of NATO’s previous mission to the country when Afghan security forces took over full responsibility for security. Approximately 11,000 troops are assigned to the mission and cooperate closely with elements of Afghan police and military forces.
NSPA support
The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has provided Afghan national army and police with hundreds of tonnes of pharmaceuticals in the period between November and early December, a NATO report noted earlier this month.
Besides antibiotics and pain relievers, NSPA’s recent chartered flights provided Afghan authorities with polio vaccines, IV fluids, vitamins, hand sanitizer and other medical supplies. More flights are due by the end of the year with the aim of helping Afghan forces to reduce medical risks to personnel and to improve their standard of care.
The NSPA, NATO’s main services provider, brings together its logistics support and procurement capabilities and is customer-funded, operating on a “no profit – no loss” basis.
