Kabul, Feb 11, 2010, SPA -- French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said todaythat his country was prepared to stick it out in Afghanistan, according to dpa.    "Continued French assistance to Afghanistan is something Afghanpeople can count on and we are committed to our presence as long asnecessary," Fillon told reporters in a joint press conference withPresident Hamid Karzai in Kabul.   Fillon arrived on an unannounced trip on Thursday in Kabul, wherehe met Karzai, other Afghan and NATO military officials.   According to a statement released by Karzai's office, Fillon alsosaid his country "strongly supports" a new peace plan, presented byKarzai at last month's London conference on Afghanistan.   Under the new peace initiative, the Afghan government is toprovide low and mid-level Taliban with protection, jobs and otherincentives in return for them renouncing violence.   The government also said that it was ready to reconcile withTaliban leaders if they were ready to sever their ties with al-Qaeda,but NATO officials said the militants would not accept this offer andstart negotiations unless they are weakened on the military front.   Karzai thanked Paris for its assistance over the past severalyears, saying France "is one of Afghanistan's great and old friendswhose friendship dates back to century-long relations."   "As the president, it is my duty to provide my people with asecure life which we believe is impossible without ensuring peace,"Karzai said. "I would do it even if it can be achieved throughtalking with every single individual."   France has around 3,700 soldiers as part of around 113,000international troops in Afghanistan.   Some French soldiers will be part of 15,000 NATO-led troops thatare launch a much-anticipated, highly publicized operation against aTaliban redoubt in the southern province of Helmand, which isexpected to get underway in the coming days.    Afghan and NATO officials have said that the operation, dubbedMushtarak, which means "together," would show the Taliban that theycannot achieve a final victory in this war. --SPA 19:03 LOCAL TIME 16:03 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/747380