The North Atlantic Council will visit Afghanistan to discuss the expansion of the mission to southern and western part of Afghanistan, the spokesperson of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said on Monday.

"There is no doubt that NATO and ISAF wishes to expand the operation into the south and eventually to the east of Afghanistan. The NATO command forces and the government of Afghanistan have shown interests about it. What remains to be finalized is the structure, the size of the forces and the command structure," the spokesman of ISAF Major Andrew Elmes told journalists in a press conference here.

He also said this week the North Atlantic Council would visit Afghanistan to discuss about the expansion of the mission to the south and east of the country.

The North Atlantic Council, the most important decision-making body within NATO, comprises high-level representation from each of the 26 member countries under the Secretary General.

"ISAF has UN's mandate which will be extended until next October. During the expected expansion to the south of the country, the mandate will continue and our mission for security assistance of Afghanistan will continue through Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) which lays on civil military form," Elmes added.

"The expansion is under examination, and it will be based on concession of all the countries of NATO when it happens," the spokesman said.

In the informal meeting of Defense Ministers held in Berlin on Sept. 13 and 14, NATO has got the compromise on the corporation between NATO-led ISAF peacekeeping operation and US-led anti- terrorism operation. According to the agreement, there will be a commander in charge of the NATO's peacekeeping operation take the command of both the American and ISAF troops.

Source: Xinhua