Visiting NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Tuesday reiterated the alliance's commitment to Afghanistan, saying troops will stay for as long as necessary despite paying a high price.

"The international community will stand with you, will protect you and help rebuild your country until you are ready to stand on your own and prevent terrorism from taking root in this country once again," he said.

Rasmussen is visiting Afghanistan for the first time since NATO allies pledged 6,800 extra troops to fight alongside an additional 30,000 US soldiers committed by US President Barack Obama to the war against the Taliban.

Obama's strategy to reverse the Taliban momentum, deny Al-Qaeda a safe haven and train Afghan security forces to take responsibility envisages a draw-down of US troops from July 2011.

Rasmussen said the price of leaving Afghanistan too early could be far higher than that incurred by staying, referring to the deaths of international troops, nearing 500 for this year alone.

As 'heavy a price'

The 113,000 NATO and US troops in Afghanistan battling a Taliban-led insurgency are paying as "heavy a price" as the people of Afghanistan, he said.

"But we know... that the price of leaving too early would be far higher so we will stay the course," he said, speaking at a media conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Rasmussen said the deployment of almost 40,000 extra US and NATO troops over the coming year will create momentum for a new phase in development.

"I am confident that the troop surge will improve the security situation," he said.

The extra troops are expected to deploy by late 2010 and analysts say more foreign troops will inevitably mean more deaths.

During a visit to Moscow last week, Rasmussen asked Russia to supply military equipment, particularly helicopters, as well as training for Afghan helicopter pilots, spare parts and fuel.

He also requested assistance in training counter-narcotics agents, he said, adding that no pledge had been forthcoming from the Russians.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who was at the talks, had said that President Dmitry Medvedev had given the order to review the NATO requests.

Afghans are accustomed to using Russian equipment as most Afghan army weaponry and systems are Russian-made, leftovers from the Soviet occupation during the 1980s.

-AFP