BERLIN -- Afghan Leader Hamid Karzai said in Berlin Wednesday that he would like to see Germany take over command of international peacekeeping in Kabul but German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said his nation's military had reached its limits, AFP reported.

"We have reached the limits of what we can do," in international peacekeeping, Fischer said at a joint press conference after meeting Karzai, who arrived in Berlin from Moscow.

Fischer said German military capacities were stretched thin with some 8,000 troops on peacekeeping missions in the Balkans.

Germany has some 800 troops in Kabul with the 4,500-strong International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) as well as 150 troops supporting it from Uzbekistan.

Fischer said Germany also rejected the idea of expanding ISAF's mandate beyond Kabul to the rest of Afghanistan.

"We intend and want to focus on Kabul," Fischer said, adding that any change in the Mandate must come from the UN Security Council.

Karzai said Germany taking over the ISAF command was "something we welcome. We are willing."

He added in an ARD German television interview to be aired later Wednesday that "If Germany took the step and took over the command of ISAF, all the Afghan people would rejoice."

Karzai said in Paris on March 1 that he had formally asked Turkey to take over the command of ISAF.

Turkish, U.S. and British officials met in Ankara Thursday to discuss the matter.

Ankara has said it is ready to take over leadership of the force from Britain on April 1 but has requested financial support and clarification of the scope and terms of the mandate.

Karzai said the Afghan people wanted an expanded role for ISAF not because they were "threatened in their physical security" but "as a commitment from the international community for the overall security of Afghanistan."

Flanked by his key ministers, including Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah and Minister for Women Sima Samar, Karzai said warlords in Afghanistan were "not a serious threat to the government."