Defence Minister Peter MacKay said Canada will still have a job to do in Afghanistan once its combat role ends in early 2011.
During a visit to Kandahar Monday, MacKay said the focus will be on helping the Afghans take control of their own country.
MacKay said Canada is not interested in simply holding on to "swaths of land" in Afghanistan.
"They're in the process of redefining this mission as a combat mission to an aid mission where soldiers will no longer go out to seek the enemy but rather help train Afghan army and police to do that," The Globe and Mail's Colin Freeze told Â鶹´«Ã½net on Monday from Kandahar.
Meanwhile, MacKay announced plans to improve Canada's ability to detect roadside bombs planted by insurgents.
He also spoke about programs in Canada to help war veterans once they return home.
MacKay is expected to hold talks later Monday with his Pakistani counterpart, Ahmad Mukhtar, in Islamabad.
Officials are describing the meeting as a general discussion on regional issues.
MacKay recently expressed unease with insurgent activity in Pakistan, saying the instability made the country among the most dangerous in the world.
Pakistani forces have been engaged in an offensive against Taliban fighters in the northwest. As of Sunday, reports say more than 1,000 Taliban have been killed.
With files from The Canadian Press
