KABUL, Feb 9: The stability of Afghanistan is vital to world security, the country's president and Nato's secretary general agreed on Monday. Speaking at a ceremony marking the handover of command of the Nato-run force that mostly polices Kabul , Jaap de Hoop Scheffer also repeated a pledge that bringing security to Afghanistan was the alliance's top priority.

"We now know that our future security wherever we are depends on Afghanistan's security," he told an audience that included President Hamid Karzai and top Nato military officials.

"And we will do what we must to help you, President Karzai, your government and the people of this country build a better, safer and more prosperous future," said de Hoop Scheffer.

Nato took over the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) last summer, and member countries rotate command of the 6,420-strong force, with Canada taking over from Germany on Monday.

The handover took place amid tight security at a high school in downtown Kabul after de Hoop Scheffer landed at the US-controlled airbase of Bagram, north of Kabul, with Nato's top soldier, US General James Jones.

Although no timeframe and numbers have been given, Nato has pledged to increase the number of soldiers in ISAF so it can spread into lawless provinces, mostly by setting up more Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs).

Mr Karzai said that extra Nato forces were needed. "This assistance...is not going to help Afghanistan alone, it is going to eventually help all of us in the international community," he said.

Nato has control of one PRT and the US-led force of 10,600 - whose primary aim is to hunt remnants of the Taliban and Al Qaeda - runs the remainder. The PRTs vary from a few dozen members to more than 200, and combine military and reconstruction roles in outlying areas.

Questions still remain about how quickly the PRTs will be set up, as some Nato members say their armed forces are thinly stretched across the globe, making it difficult to contribute resources such as helicopters and communications.

But Nato's peacekeeping force aims to set up five new teams over the next six months as the country prepares for a presidential election in June. De Hoop Scheffer, a former Dutch foreign minister, said it was vital that the international community did not waver from the severe problems of violence, poverty and drugs facing Afghanistan.

"Lawlessness, organised crime and the production and trafficking of narcotics must be brought under control," he said. Canada has the largest ISAF contingent of 2,000 troops, but they are due to leave in August. Canada says up to 500 troops may be kept in Afghanistan after that. -Reuters