With 2014 drawing near, the focus of NATO's mission has largely shifted from the battlefield to training the Afghan national security forces, which are expected to take over security after 2014.

It will be a daunting task for Washington and Kabul to pave the way for a relatively smooth transition period this year, as the capability of Afghan forces needs to be improved remarkably so they can face up to the country's bleak security situation.

According to General Mohammad Zahir Azimi, the spokesman for Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense, Afghan forces are now charged with 80 percent of security missions, but they are not equipped to face the most lethal weapon of the militants, roadside bombs. A recent US congressional report also pointed out that higher-level Afghan units still need vital air, logistics and other support from foreign forces.

The entire security outlook in Afghanistan looks anything but promising. Recent analysis suggests the overall level of violence in the country was higher in 2012 than it was before a US troop surge more than two years ago, with insurgent activity up in the north and west. Statistics from the Afghan side indicate more than 1,050 Afghan troops died in 2012, much higher than 2011.

Throughout 2012, Afghanistan has experienced high-profile Taliban-led attacks that killed thousands, including innocent civilians. The Afghan government tried to engage the still potent Taliban in a national reconciliation process, with a series of direct and indirect contacts among the Afghan government, the US government, the Taliban and Pakistan last year. But the Taliban, which ruled the country between 1996 and 2001 with an iron fist, has rejected these overtures. On Saturday, it again warned of a prolonged war in Afghanistan if any foreign troops stay after the end of 2014.

An effective security apparatus and continued engagement with the Taliban will be top of the Afghan government's agenda this year, as stability, peace and order are primary requisites for the war-torn country to take the road of national reconciliation and rebuilding.

The author is a senior writer with China Daily.