Nato leaders said they expect France to remain part of Afghanistan effort Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the alliance's secretary general, said he would speak with the new French president immediately amid concerns France would soon announce the withdrawal of its 3,600-strong contingent. Paris has signed a long-term partnership with the government in Kabul, however, which includes switching from combat missions to a training role after 2014 when the bulk of coalition forces will withdraw. "Throughout, France has made clear its very strong commitment [to] training Afghan forces beyond 2014," a spokeswoman for the alliance said. Any decision on an early French pull-out would need to be agreed with its allies at the Nato summit in Chicago later this month. Manuel Valls, Mr Hollande's communications director, confirmed that France would use the summit to "announce the withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan between now and the end of the year." French diplomats in Kabul also expected Mr Hollande to fulfil his pledge, though there were doubts that France could remove all its materiel from the country in time.