US President Barack Obama has said that NATO is unified on its plan, to hand the leadership for combat operations in Afghanistan to the Afghans themselves, by the middle of next year. By closing the NATO summit in Chicago, Mr. Obama assured Afghanistan, that NATO was committed to a long term strategic relationship beyond that date.

President Obama said the summit in Chicago has set out a clear roadmap to the gradual end of NATO's mission in Afghanistan. He said there would never be an optible moment to leave, Afghanistan would not be perfect at the end of December 2014.