Nato is bringing home all 10,000 troops currently serving with peace keeping forces in Afghanistan, including 160 Dutch soldiers.

The withdrawal will start on May 1, ‘in an orderly, coordinated & deliberate way,’ Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday. ‘We will continue to stand with Afghanistan, this marks a new chapter in our relationship.’

The Netherlands has stationed soldiers in Afghanistan since 2002, mainly in the provinces of Uruzgan and then Kunduz. Dutch efforts in the provinces with the Nato mission Resolute Support have focused on training local soldiers and the police.

According to defence ministry figures, some 658 Dutch soldiers are working on a variety of missions abroad including Mali and Somalia