DEFENCE ministers have met troops from the region in Afghanistan to witness the progress being made in mentoring Afghan forces to take on the security of their own country.

Armed Forces Minister Andrew Robathan and Minister for Defence, Equipment Support and Technology Philip Dunne visited 4 Mechanized Brigade, which is normally based in Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire.

During their visit, they also met with ISAF and Afghan military commanders, and Afghanistan’s Ministers for Defence and Interior in the capital Kabul, before seeing the site of the Afghan National Army Officers Academy, which is currently under construction.

Mr Robathan said: “This is my fourth visit to Afghanistan and I have to say that the change is remarkable. We are here to help the Afghans to secure their own country and the transition is going extremely well.

“We are drawing down gradually and handing over to the Afghans. What I have seen is that they are better and better prepared to take over.”