(BERLIN) - Afghan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta called on the international community to send another 600 to 700 police and military trainers to his country, in an interview broadcast here on Thursday.

"We must receive more police instructors, as well as equipment and military trainers. This is more important than sending foreign soldiers," Spanta told Germany's regional SWR radio.

"Up to now, the European Union has sent us only 169 police instructors, and this is not much given the situation that we face," he added.

"We would like the international community to increase this figure to 600 to 700 men, so that our border protection forces will be able to protect the territory that is under our control against terror attacks."

Spanta said this was particularly important to secure the country's borders because "there is also terrorist activity in (neighbouring) Pakistan".

His call came two days after Afghan Education Minister Mohammed Hanif Atmar criticised the West for not giving enough financial aid to the conflict-torn country.

The international community has pledged 25 billion dollars to Afghanistan since 2001, when a US-led invasion toppled the Taliban, according to the Agency Coordinating Body For Afghan Relief of aid groups.

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