WASHINGTON, 04/04/07 - The Netherlands and the US agree that the Afghan province of Uruzgan must continue to be protected by NATO after August 2008. But there is no agreement on whether the Netherlands will undertake this task.

Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen concluded a two-day getting-acquainted visit to the US yesterday. Afghanistan was the most important topic in his hour-and-a-half long meeting in Washington with his US counterpart Condoleezza Rice. They also discussed Iran, Iraq and the situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Dutch troops are stationed in Uruzgan until August 2008. Verhagen termed it evident that Afghanistan will not be able to make it after this without continued NATO military support. Rice expressed the hope to Verhagen that the Netherlands would continue its military presence in Afghanistan after the present mission ends.

Verhagen has sympathy for Rice's wish for the Netherlands to stay on. "I have not ruled that out," said the Dutch minister. Primarily however, "it is NATO that is responsible for the succession," he added.

The Netherlands cannot give any definite answer at this stage. Verhagen referred to the agreement within the cabinet that a decision will be taken this summer on extending the Uruzgan mission or not.

According to a statement by Verhagen's ministry, he and Rice also discussed Kosovo, the situation in Darfur and "human rights in relation to the fight against international terrorism." Verhagen "has indicated that the treatment of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay is in violation of international agreements."

Verhagen and Rice spoke "in a very good and open atmosphere". The Dutch minister "stressed the importance of good transatlantic relations as the cornerstone of Dutch foreign policy," his ministry said.