BRUSSELS — Germany and Italy will join the United States as ‘‘lead nations’’ in regions of Afghanistan after NATO transitions into a noncombat mission there after 2014, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Wednesday.
The Pentagon chief was speaking after the alliance laid out a new plan shifting into a training and assistance role for the Afghan forces set to take over from NATO-led troops in about 18 months. He didn’t specify, however, how many troops NATO will maintain in Afghanistan after that.
‘‘The United States has committed to being the largest single contributor to this mission’’ — as lead nation in the restive east and south, Hagel said after a two-day meeting of NATO defense ministers.
‘‘We appreciate the commitments that other nations are making, including announcements by Germany and Italy that they will serve as lead nations for the north and the west,’’ he said. Turkey, he said, was ‘‘favorably considering’’ a role as ‘‘framework nation’’ in Kabul.
There currently are about 100,000 international troops in Afghanistan, including 66,000 from the United States. The US total is set to drop to 32,000 by early next year.