The French defense minister said France is willing to send its remaining troops in Afghanistan anywhere in the country to help in emergencies.
Michele Alliot-Marie said during a visit to Kabul Monday that French troops could be sent as temporary reinforcements to assist allied forces in combat situations. But she said French troops would not be sent permanently to the restive south and east of the country.
NATO allies agreed last month to redeploy their forces anywhere in the country when necessary.
On Sunday, Alliot-Marie announced that France will withdraw its 200-strong special forces unit from the eastern city of Jalalabad, near the border with Pakistan. France has another 1100 troops stationed in and around the capital Kabul.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.