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Opening day at the NATO summit in Wales.
The Alliance pays tribute to the armed services of all International Security Assistance Force nations who have fought in Afghanistan.
NATO needs a new Afghan president in place to sign an agreement on continued cooperation.
Otherwise, it likely will have to withdraw all its forces this year and abandon plans for a training mission for the Afghan forces as they battle Taliban insurgents.
Outgoing NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN SAYING:
"We have done what we pledged to do. We have dealt a blow against international terrorism in Afghanistan and we have built up capable Afghan forces of 350,000 troops and police. For over a year (CUT TO AFGHAN DEFENSE MINISTER BISMILLAH KHAN MOHAMMADI) these forces have been in the lead for security across the country. And by the end of this year, (CUT BACK TO RASM