Defence Secretary meets Governor of Helmand Province, Afghanistan
The Governor of Helmand Province Gulabuddin Mangal Defence Secretary Liam Fox discussed the situation in Helmand Province in a meeting on 3 November.
Helmand is where the bulk of Britain’s 9,500 troops are deployed.
After the meeting, Dr Liam Fox said:
“Governor Mangal and I had a successful meeting where he described to me real progress that he has seen in Helmand over the last two and a half years. British forces are working with the ever improving Afghan National Security Forces to expand Afghan security. Governor Mangal was determined that British troops would be able to hand lead security responsibility to Afghan forces in many of the districts of Helmand in the coming years.
“Governor Mangal has been a great ally to international forces in Helmand in recent years, working hard on behalf of his President to expand to improve the level of governance in that part of the country. We were absolutely clear that we will work together to improve security in Afghanistan which will make Britain and her allies more secure.”