BRUSSELS, March 25(Xinhua) -- European Union (EU) countries have been asked to commit additional civilian resources to Afghanistan to match U.S. plans to send in 17,000 additional troops, said a policy report of a European think tank on Wednesday.

    "If EU governments are serious about Afghanistan, they should complement the coming U.S. military push with a civilian surge of their own. They must ensure the elections are secure, train the army and the police, and reach out to the Taliban," said Daniel Korski of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

    EU countries must acknowledge there can be no military solution to the insurgency, he argued.

    The EU and the United States should encourage the next Afghan government to negotiate with those insurgent leaders, who are willing to lay down arms and integrate them into the political process, said Korski, a former adviser to the Afghan government in Kabul.

    Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, a founding member of the ECFR, asked for a new strategy in Afghanistan.

    "The EU and NATO need a new strategy in Afghanistan. To move toward stability and peace in Afghanistan, the next Afghan government must be encouraged to negotiate with all those insurgent leaders who are open to reconciliation. NATO must do better to avoid casualties amongst Afghan civilians, the EU should send more non-military assistance. Too many EU member states are failing their commitment to make rebuilding Afghanistan a priority," he said in the policy report.

    Another founding member of the ECFR, former German foreign minister Joschka Fischer, stressed the need for regional involvement.

    "Improving regional diplomacy is fundamental to Afghanistan's economic and political security, and central to the EU's own security interests. The EU must move urgently to revitalize regional diplomatic efforts and develop a consistent policy to help stabilize Pakistan," he said.

    The report also recommended a change of Europe's counter-narcotics policy and more efforts on development.

    The only real solution to Afghanistan's drug problem is long-term development, said the report. The international community should focus on prioritizing security for local farmers and making alternative crops economically viable.

    It also recommended EU support for the creation of a special UN-backed tribunal for the prosecution of Afghanistan's drug lords.

    Both national governments and the EU as a whole must increase and improve their aid efforts in Afghanistan, and target regions where security is particularly poor, said the report. It held that the EU should also take over Kabul's reconstruction.