Petras Auštrevičius, on behalf of the ALDE Group.– Mr President, speaking on behalf of ALDE, I should begin by expressing our deepest condolences to the families of the victims in Kunduz. Clearly, by choosing a hospital as a target, a fatal mistake was made. However, the reasons for this tragedy still remain unclear. I therefore welcome the decision by NATO and the Afghan authorities to launch immediately a thorough and impartial investigation of this tragic event.

What happened in Kunduz is a terrible accident, but we cannot view it as an isolated accident. By conquering Kunduz, the Taliban has made the biggest military advance in 14 years. The Taliban’s personnel strength has increased dramatically: by more than six times in the last seven or eight years. The conscripts are mostly from Arab countries and post-Soviet Central Asia, as far as one can read from the reports.

All this is very alarming. The Taliban must be defeated to give Afghanistan a new start. The consequences of our inaction might be unthinkable. I strongly believe that we cannot disregard the overall and unprecedented support which has already been invested in Afghanistan’s security and development. It should be clear from the outset that we cannot repeat the mistakes of Iraq and Syria, where our actions were inadequate. Currently, our efforts in Afghanistan seem far too weak.

It is fundamental to retain the progress made in Afghanistan based on our coordinated strategy, both military and developmental, among the international, regional and local players. Our effective action and determination create the future for Afghanistan. Meanwhile, inaction and confusion bring back the past, which I am convinced the people of Afghanistan are not looking for.