BRUSSELS, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- NATO is encouraged by a recent poll on Afghanistan that indicates greater popularity for NATO's mission and decreased support for the Taliban, the alliance said in a statement on Monday.

    The poll, commissioned by the BBC, ABC News and Germany's ARD shows, surveyed some 1,500 Afghans in mid-December 2009. In the highest levels of optimism since 2007, 70 percent respondents said their country is moving in the right direction and that overall living conditions have improved since 2001. They also expressed confidence that the situation will continue to improve in the current year.

    "The increasing optimism of the Afghan people in their future is welcome news to NATO and the men and women of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Our population centric strategy and the commitment to add 37,000 more troops in 2010 is creating a new momentum for the mission, which is reflected in this poll", said the NATO Spokesman, James Appathurai.

    The poll shows Afghans noted positively the performance of the police and army and expressed confidence in their ability to provide security and stability in the area, with three-quarters believing that Afghan National Security Forces will be able to take over security in Afghanistan in 18 months.

    The Afghan support for NATO troops increased to 62 percent, with nearly the same number supporting the recently-announced troop uplift. Three-quarters believed attacks against NATO forces cannot be justified. Only six percent respondents said they favor a Taliban government.

    NATO said in the statement that these positive indicators of the poll came at a critical moment as the international community is prepared to agree on a new compact with Afghanistan at the upcoming London Conference on Jan. 28.

    The alliance acknowledged that the war-torn country still faces significant challenges, including corruption and unemployment, which the poll shows are high on the list of Afghan concerns.