Canada's Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier met with Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai in Kabul on Saturday, and urged him to strengthen his government's influence in the southern provinces.
The majority of Canada's troops are stationed in Kandahar, in the south of Afghanistan, where communities have complained of corruption among local police officials.
"There is some challenges, for sure -- there is a problem of corruption," said Bernier.
"(Karzai) understands the (urgency) to have an efficient government in the south, in Kandahar. But we are doing what we can do, and we need all together to work together."
Bernier also met with several of his NATO counterparts, including France's foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner.
On Friday, Kouchner said France would eventually boost its troop presence in Afghanistan to about 3,000, starting with 700 more troops in the country's eastern region.
That move may enable the U.S. to focus more resources in Kandahar and help Canada.
"We are together," Kouchner said in French Saturday as he stood with Bernier and Afghan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadar Spanta.
"I hope this French decision allows our Canadian friends to reinforce their combat efforts in Kandahar," he added.
France currently has 1,430 troops in Afghanistan, part of the 47,000-strong NATO force.
French officials have said the move is contingent on a more unified NATO strategy, including the areas development and a progressive transfer of responsibility for security to Afghans. France will be hosting an Afghan international donors conference in June.
Canada has 2,500 troops in the conflict-wracked Kandahar province.
At recent NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania, the U.S. said it would shift 1,000 troops to Kandahar to bolster the Canadian force.
At the press conference with Bernier and Kouchner, Spanta praised Canada for its efforts to bring stability to Afghanistan.
"Your presence here gives us the message that in fighting terrorism, we are not alone," he said.
"We are proud to have you as friends."
Suicide bomber
In Nimroz province, a suicide bomber attacked a road construction crew on Saturday, killing two people. One of the dead is an engineer from India.
The blast wounded eight others, including five people from India and two Afghans.
The Taliban "are conducting these suicide attacks and terrorist attacks to stop the development and reconstruction in Afghanistan," said Ghula Dastagir, Nimroz's governor.
Afghan and NATO troops fought with insurgents in two separate clashes in Zabul province late Friday.
The operations targeted militants responsible for Tuesday's ambush of a road construction crew that left 17 people dead and 16 others wounded, said Ghulab Shah Alikheil, Zabul province's deputy governor.
The joint forces suffered no casualties, he said.
Road building projects are a key part of rebuilding infrastructure in Afghanistan and provide much-needed employment to locals. Insurgents have targeted crews and projects in various locations.
A Canadian-sponsored project in the violent Panjwaii district of Kandahar province will employ about 400 people and leave behind a paved, 6.5-kilometre stretch of road when completed in October.
The road will make it easier for local farmers to move produce to market -- and make it more difficult to plant roadside bombs.
Such devices have become the main killer of Canadian soldiers.
Pte. Terry Street, Canada's latest casualty, was to be buried Saturday in Surrey, B.C.
A roadside bomb killed Street on April 4 in an area west of Kandahar City.
He was the 82nd Canadian military member to die in Afghanistan since 2002. A Canadian diplomat has also died, along with a volunteer Canadian aid worker murdered by the Taliban.
With files from The Associated Press
