Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay has said Canada's military presence in Afghanistan is helping reconstruction efforts in the country, as outlined in the Afghanistan Compact.
Wednesday marks the first year anniversary of the agreement, finalized on Jan. 31, 2006 between the international community and the Afghan government.
"Many have been calling for a balancing of the mission," MacKay told Mike Duffy Live. "And it's all there, it's all contained in that document that sets out benchmarks in various areas of governance, of development, of reconstruction and of stability."
The Afghanistan Compact describes a five-year renewal plan that ends in 2011, beyond Canada's own mission timeline, which ends in February 2009.
"There are two separate but simultaneous tracks that we're on: security and development," said MacKay.
He added that Afghan President Hamid Karzai "and the Afghan government are very thankful and appreciative of what we're doing, and are talking often about how we're able to show in each of those areas (of the Afghanistan Compact) how we're making progress."
The minister's comments came one day after a report by Human Rights Watch that claimed more than 1,000 civilians were killed in Afghanistan in 2006.
The group said most of those deaths resulted from attacks by insurgents in the southern area of the country, where Canadian troops have focused their military efforts to promote stability.
A top Canadian officer said insurgents and suicide bombers continue to pour into Afghanistan from neighbouring Pakistan, and more guards are needed to toughen security at the border.
"This is a big border area and a lot of people don't fully appreciate how easy it is to cross," Col. Mike Kampman told The Canadian Press.
"It's going to take a lot work and a lot of effort to build up a robust network of surveillance and presence on this side of the border."
Kampman is chief of staff to Brig.-Gen. Ton van Loon, the commander of coalition forces in southern Afghanistan.
Some NATO officials have suggested individual countries take responsibility for boosting border security in specific Afghan provinces, meaning Canada would focus on the area between Kandahar and Pakistan.
Members of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) are already patrolling border regions, although Kampman said he would like to see more troops assisting in the effort.
"As we develop better security in the interior areas of our region, we'll be able to apply better effort and more resources to the border area," he told CP.
"That is certainly one of aspirations in the coming few months."
Last year, Pakistan suggested mining the border, along with a possible fence, to better regulate those travelling between the countries. But the proposal was met with criticism from coalition forces.
With files from The Canadian Press
