David Cameron and Francois Hollande heading for showdown over French withdrawal from Afghanistan Lt Gen Adrian Bradshaw, the deputy Nato chief in Afghanistan, said that alliance commanders "very much hope" that French forces will remain active in Afghanistan for several more years. Mr Cameron will meet Mr Hollande for the first time next week, first at a Group of Eight meeting at Camp David, then at the Chicago summit, which starts a week on Sunday. Lt Gen Bradshaw said French troops are making a vital contribution in Afghanistan and said he believed it "remains a very strong possibility" that Mr Hollande will be persuaded to delay a French withdrawal. "They will take the decisions that they have to take based on their political requirements," he said. We very much hope that they will find a way to remain active participants in this coalition through to the end of 2014. And we think that still remains a strong possibility. Barack Obama's administration said this week it has sent a team of officials to Paris for early meetings with Mr Hollande's advisers in the hope of delaying the French withdrawal. The Chicago meeting is scheduled to fix the timetable for Nato to hand over security operations in Afghanistan to Afghan forces over the next two years. The potential turmoil that could follow an early Nato withdrawal from Afghanistan was highlighted by last month's wave of Taliban attacks on the capital Kabul, one of the most brazen assaults on the city since the US led invasion 10 years ago. It comes as the Afghan government prepares to announce the handover of the last British-controlled area of Helmand, opening the way for the possible return home next year of thousands of British troops. Nahr-e Saraj district is likely to be named among 230 areas to begin transfer to Afghan control, British officials in Kabul believe. The announcement from Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, which may come as early as Sunday, will mean all three British-garrisoned districts will have entered the transition process allowing Afghan forces take over security duties from the Nato-led coalition. The process will take 12 to 18 months, meaning Afghan soldiers and police are likely to take charge in the middle of next year. Lashkar Gah and Nad-e Ali, the two other British districts, began transfer last year. Britain has around 9,500 soldiers in Afghanistan. After to bowing to requests from British commanders to slow the pace of withdrawal, Mr Cameron has said only 500 will leave this year.