OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper has spoken to his Australian counterpart about the Manley report and Canada's Afghanistan mission.
Harper called Prime Minister Kevin Rudd late Wednesday in the latest of a string of calls to allied leaders aimed at finding reinforcements for Afghanistan.
Australia, although not a member of NATO, has about 500 troops in and around Afghanistan.
Sandra Buckler, Harper's spokeswoman, said the prime minister briefed Rudd about John Manley's report, which recommended extending the Canadian mission beyond 2009 if NATO can find about 1,000 reinforcements and if the government can acquire medium-lift helicopter capacity and new, pilotless surveillance drones.
"Prime Minister Rudd confirmed that Australia's Labour government is determined to stay the course in Afghanistan and looks forward to collaborating with Canada and other allies in our international effort to enable Afghans to provide for their own security and see their country prosper," Buckler said in an e-mail. "This will require a co-ordinated effort and the investment of sufficient resources by allies."
In recent weeks, Harper has also called the leaders of France, Britain, Germany, the Netherlands and the United States.
