Kabul, Apr 20: Afghan warlords and militia chiefs today agreed to work with the central government in rebuilding a multi-ethnic national army, the defence ministry said. "All commanders agreed to work closely with the ministry of defence in taking direction from the central government to the common defence of the nation and in building the new national army," the ministry said in a statement. The statement came at the end of a two-day conference on "Shaping the Future of Afghanistan - The Military Dimension" attended by the interior, foreign and defence ministers along with some 50 militia leaders, Herat governor Ismail Khan, Kandahar governor and former mujahedin leader Gul Agha and northern warlord Atta Mohammad. It was co-hosted by the US-led military coalition which is trying to improve regional security for the government of President Hamid Karzai. Disarming regional militias and integrating them into the nascent Afghan national army is a priority for Karzai. "There was wide agreement that the future success of Afghanistan depends on national unity with local governments responding to a strong central government," the defence ministry statement said. It said the army would be composed of all ethnic groups. Ethnic Tajik defence minister Mohammad Qasim Fahim had been accused of trying to pack the army with Tajik recruits. "Soldiers and officers should be recruited from all ethnic groups, all provinces and from all walks of life so that each unit is representative of the nation and able to gain the confidence and trust of all people of the nation." Bureau Report