William Hague has sought to clarify the government's position on Afghanistan, following seemingly contradictory statements from the defence secretary and prime minister.
Speaking on the BBC's Today programme this morning, the foreign secretary said Britain was "very committed" to giving the Afghan strategy the "necessary time to succeed".
And he rejected the suggestion that David Cameron wanted to set a timetable for withdrawal of British military personnel.
"The prime minister was saying what he said before as leader of Opposition," Hague said. "That of course in the next Parliament he would hope, anyone would hope, that British combat troops will be coming home".
"He also stressed that’s not setting a timetable for what happens over next few years".
But Hague said he would be "very surprised" if British troops remained in Afghanistan beyond 2014.
"We are committed to the Afghans being able to conduct their military operations and security and that takes time," he said. "But I would be very surprised if that took longer than 2014."
"We have always said, the chief of the defence staff has said, that the Afghan forces should be able to conduct their own affairs, should be able to stand up for themselves without other nations having to be alongside them, by 2014.
"So I don't think it's any great surprise or any great mystery about us saying that by 2015 really we should be in the position where Afghan national security forces will be looking after themselves.”
Downing Street was forced to deny there were any differences between Cameron and Liam Fox after the defence secretary said NATO needed to "hold our nerve" on the mission and "see the job through" while visiting Washington.
And according to the BBC the Taliban in Afghanistan have "no intention" of entering into negotiations with NATO forces.
In a statement obtained by the broadcaster, the Taliban said: "We do not want to talk to anyone - not to (Afghan president Hamid) Karzai, nor to any foreigners - till the foreign forces withdraw from Afghanistan.
"We are certain that we are winning. Why should we talk if we have the upper hand, and the foreign troops are considering withdrawal, and there are differences in the ranks of our enemies?"
Hague's comments follow a shakeup in the military command in Afghanistan, after President Obama fired his top general in the field Stanley McCrystal.
McCrystal was replaced as NATO's commander in Afghanistan by General David Petraeus after he made disparaging remarks about the president in Rolling Stone magazine.
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd