1. Wide shot Canadian ISAF troops assembled at Camp Julien
2. Jean Chretien, Canadian Prime Minister
3. Troops
4. Canadian flag
5. Soldiers approaching bearing Canadian flag
6. Chretien inspects troops
7. Closer Chretien inspecting troops
8. Close up troops stand to attention
9. Various of troops in rows
10. Chretien walking
11. Tanks and flags
12. Hamid Karzai greets Chretien as he steps out of his car at presidential palace
13. Closer shot greeting
14. Karzai and Chretien and Afghan guard of honour
15. Various as they inspect Afghan guard of honour
16. Karzai and Chretien emerge from palace after talks for press conference
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan
"Canadian troop contribution to Afghanistan in the form of ISAF is the largest. It's helping us in so many other areas of reconstruction - in rural development, in the relocation to their homes of IDPs (internally displaced persons), in the return of refugees, and in agricultural natural resources."
18. Officials
19. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean Chretien, Canadian Prime Minister
"I can measure, you know, the effect of our presence and it is encouraging. It's difficult, it will take some time but it's good when you can know that progress is made and more progress is coming."
20. Abdullah Abdullah, Afghan foreign minister, listening
21. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean Chretien, Canadian Prime Minister
"We are supporting the extension of ISAF and we will work to induce and convince other nations to send troops here because we can appreciate by the participation with the second term we are having here (we had some in Kandahar area right after... a year and a half ago, and you know we are happy with the result that they got) and hope that more countries will take on and respond to the call of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to expand ISAF."
22. Officials leaving press conference
Canada's prime minister on Saturday told his nation's peacekeeping soldiers in Kabul that their work in the war-torn nation was a source of pride to (M) millions back home and that their sacrifices were not going unnoticed.
Jean Chretien told about 500 troops gathered at the Canadians' main base in the capital that they were doing a lot to bring peace and security to the country which would benefit everyone.
Later in the day, Chretien met Afghan President Hamid Karzai to discuss security and reconstruction.
Chretien called for the disarmament of warlords and other militia forces in the country and the elimination of all heavy weapons within the limits of the Afghan capital, two measures seen as crucial to returning stability to Afghanistan.
Chretien was making a brief stop in Afghanistan, part of his farewell tour to Asia as he prepares to retire next February after 10 years as prime minister.
During a one-day visit to Ottawa in September, Karzai thanked Canada for sending troops to boost security in
Kabul and said he hoped the country would play a larger role in rebuilding Afghanistan.
Canadian soldiers command the five thousand-strong International Security Assistance Force, the NATO-led peacekeeping force charged with keeping order in Kabul.
There are about one thousand and 950 Canadian troops on a one-year deployment which ends in mid-2004.
Earlier this month, two Canadian peacekeepers were killed and three others were wounded when a land mine hidden in a sandy track in Kabul exploded during a routine patrol.
Canada's contribution is part of the 31-country ISAF formed by a UN resolution after the hardline Taliban regime was ousted two years ago in a US-led coalition attack.
After visiting Afghanistan, Chretien is heading to the two-day APEC summit in Thailand which will likely focus on terrorism and trade.
He is also scheduled to visit China and meet Premier Wen Jiabao, former president Jiang Zemin, as well as
Canadian and Chinese business leaders.
The trip will end with a stop in India for talks with Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in New Delhi.
