Prime Minister Stephen Harper met Monday with his Dutch counterpart, who is facing a familiar debate on whether to extend his country's Afghanistan mission.
But while Canada has committed its troops to remain in the ravaged country until February 2009, the Netherlands' mission ends this August.
Harper said he hoped the Netherlands would renew its commitment to Afghanistan.
"I obviously will not pressure the prime minister in public, but just to say that we have valued tremendously the cooperation with the Netherlands in southern Afghanistan," Harper told reporters.
"They're a tremendous partner for Canada."
Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said he recognized the important of bringing stability to Afghanistan.
"The international community has a long-term responsibility towards Afghanistan," he said.
"We cannot allow it to become a failed state again."
There are about 2,000 Dutch soldiers in central Afghanistan's Oruzgan province, compared with 2,500 Canadian soldiers stationed in the south.
Balkenende's government has come under pressure to consider ending the mission in August, because fighting against the Taliban has resulted in rising civilian casualties.
Six Dutch soldiers have also died: one from a roadside bomb, four in accidents and another in a suspected suicide.
