Hague denies split on Afghanistan

While he said there was no set timetable for the withdrawal of British troops, he said the conditions for them to come home should be in place by the expected date of the next General Election.

His comments came after Defence Secretary Liam Fox issued a sharp warning on Wednesday against any premature pull-out by international forces, saying it could jeopardise national security and would be a "betrayal" of those who had died fighting the Taliban.

The tone of Dr Fox's remarks contrasted sharply with those of Prime Minister David Cameron, who said at the weekend that he hoped to bring back the British forces by the time of the next election, due to be held in 2015.

Mr Hague, however, insisted that there had been no contradiction.

"We are committed to the Afghans being able to conduct their military operations and security and that takes time. But I would be very surprised if that took longer than 2014," he said.

"Of course, in the next parliament he (Mr Cameron) would hope – anyone would hope – that the British combat troops were coming home. But he's also stressed that's not setting a timetable for what happens over the next few years.

"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."

In his first major speech since taking office, Mr Hague said Afghanistan remained the coalition Government's "top foreign priority".

And in setting out his vision for a "distinctive British foreign policy", Mr Hague reiterated his commitment to the "unbreakable alliance" with the United States, while stressing the need to build new ties with emerging nations like India and China.

He also pledged to increase British influence in the European Union by encouraging more UK nationals to work in the corridors of power in Brussels, accusing the previous Labour government of having allowed a "generation gap" to develop by neglecting to ensure enough British officials won key posts in EU institutions.

Mr Hague said the number of British officials at director level in the European Commission has fallen by a third since 2007, and that although the UK represents 12 per cent of the EU population, it has just 1.8 per cent of staff in entry-level positions at the Commission.

The drive to increase UK representation in Brussels will form part of a new approach to foreign policy designed to extend British global reach and influence, Mr Hague said.

"Our new Government's vision for foreign affairs is this: a distinctive British foreign policy that is active in Europe and across the world; that builds up British engagement in the parts of the globe where opportunities as well as threats increasingly lie... and that promotes our national interest while recognising this cannot be narrowly or selfishly defined."

But the Foreign Secretary was accused of "handbag swinging" by Labour Euro-MP Richard Howitt, who said he was "plain wrong". Mr Howitt pointed out that Britain has more of the highest-grade officials – Director-General level –than any other country.