France's promise to send a battalion of troops to eastern Afghanistan represents a "significant and historic re-engagement" in NATO, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Thursday, adding that conditions had been met to extend Canada's role in the region.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, left, and Defence Minister Peter MacKay speak during the NATO summit in Bucharest on Thursday.
(Tom Hanson/Canadian Press)

"Our NATO partners have agreed to a comprehensive new plan to balance and synchronize our military and civilian agendas," Harper said, speaking to reporters at the NATO summit in Bucharest.

Harper confirmed that France's proposal  — which would free up U.S. soldiers to go to Kandahar — along with "considerable" progress in acquiring unmanned surveillance drones and large helicopters, met the demands Canada had set out to extend its mission to 2011.

Last month, the Tories, with support from the Liberals, passed a motion that would keep Canadian soldiers in Kandahar until 2011.

The motion was contingent on two recommendations of the Manley report on Canada's role in Afghanistan: that NATO allies provide 1,000 extra troops and that Ottawa secure access to unmanned surveillance drones and large helicopters to transport Canadian troops around the region.

"Today I can report that we have met these conditions," Harper said, adding that Poland has offered access to its aircraft.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy formally announced his decision to deploy troops in a speech Thursday, saying afterwards France intends to commit 700.

France "will play its full part in this collective action," Sarkozy said, adding that NATO must agree to a long-term commitment to the mission, implement a comprehensive military and political strategy and gradually hand over responsibility to the Afghan forces.

Harper said France's commitment was important and represented a significant number of troops.

"It represents in fairness a significant and historic re-engagement of France in NATO which we have seen coming really since the arrival of President Sarkozy in power," Harper said.

The "historic tension" that has existed between the U.S., Britain and some allies on one hand and France on the other has gone "a long way toward healing," he said.

More than meet needs: Harper

Harper said he anticipates the American deployment to Kandahar will more than meet Canada's needs. The prime minister didn't give an exact number of American troops that will be deployed.

"It is widely understood that Canada has made a disproportionate sacrifice in Afghanistan," Harper said.

Harper's comments come as a number of countries are expected to offer additional troops for the war in Afghanistan on Thursday.

"There were also a number of countries who made very clear that they are going to increase their own contribution, whether in terms of military forces, in terms of training forces, in terms of further funds for reconstruction, further commitment on the civilian side," said a senior American official, speaking to the Canadian Press.

He did not name the countries, but said they were expected to make formal announcements Thursday.

Harper is slated to meet Thursday with the British and Australian prime ministers, as well as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

About 47,000 NATO soldiers are currently dispatched across Afghanistan.

With files from the Canadian Press and the Associated Press