France plans to withdraw its military contingent from Afghanistan in 2013, French President Nicholas Sarkozy said at a joint news conference with his Afghan counterpart.
“We have decided in a common accord with President Karzai to ask NATO to consider a total handing of NATO combat missions to the Afghan army over the course of 2013,” Sarkozy told reporters.
The date is one year ahead of U.S. schedule of total troop withdrawal.
France said it suspends combat support and training of Afghan troops and warned about possible early withdrawal of its personnel from the Central Asian state after a man wearing Afghan military uniform killed four French servicemen on January 20.
"The French military will resume their operations starting from Saturday,” Sarkozy said.
By late 2012, a quarter of France’s 4,000-strong contingent will be withdrawn. France is the fourth-largest contributor of troops in Afghanistan
