Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon expects a 'great deal' will be acheived by the time Canada's troops withdraw from Afghanistan in 2011. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)Canada's foreign affairs minister welcomes Barack Obama's announcement of 30,000 more American troops in Afghanistan, saying it would allow Canada to focus on its priorities before a planned pullout in 2011.

Lawrence Cannon, speaking during a teleconference Wednesday morning, said Canada remained committed to respecting a motion passed in the House of Commons to withdraw from Afghanistan by December 2011.

"Our position is clear," he said. "We will respect the motion to the letter."

Cannon said the additional U.S. troops would allow Canada to bolster efforts in three signature projects in Kandahar province:

• Vaccination of hundreds of thousands of Afghan children for polio.
• Construction of area schools.
• Rehabilitation of the Dhala Dam and irrigation system.

New marching orders

Canada recently received an adjustment in its assignment in Kandahar, with Brig.-Gen. Frederick Hodges, director of operations for NATO's southern command, saying on Tuesday that Canada would again take control of the Arghandab district, the location of the Dhala Dam.

U.S. troops will augment the force under Canada's command, Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard told reporters Wednesday.

The Arghandab district lies north of Kandahar City and has seen heavy fighting in the last two years. (CBC)

The district was Canada's responsibility until August this year, when Canadian forces handed over their duties to the U.S. as part of a scaling back of military operations to Kandahar City and a few turbulent outlying regions.

Obama's announcement also called for a withdrawal of American forces beginning in about 18 months, in July 2011, if conditions are right.

Training a top priority: Afghan ambassador

Jawed Ludin, Afghanistan's ambassador to Canada, said training Afghanistan's soldiers should be the primary function of both Canadian and U.S. troops until their departure.

"The surge is not just about combat operations and extra troops, it's about making sure that the Afghan forces are ready as soon as possible to take over, and that involves training," Ludin told CBC News.

"I believe that Canada can play a much more effective role in this strategic objective of training Afghans," he said.

Afghan troops, under the guidance of Canadian forces, launched an offensive in the Arghandab district in June of last year to counter Taliban gains, but attacks have continued in the region.

When asked if Afghan military and police forces would be ready to take over after 2011, Cannon said he's confident the training of Afghans was progressing.

"I think by the time we get [to 2011], a great deal will have been achieved," he said.

With files from The Canadian Press