Defence Minister Peter MacKay said Wednesday that as Canada prepares to end its Afghan mission in 2011, U.S. President Barack Obama will likely look to other NATO countries to step up with more troops.

But if Obama does try to charm Canada into keeping troops in Afghanistan beyond the set date, MacKay said Ottawa will stick to the legislated withdrawal timeline.

"We have to be practical and pragmatic and also respect our parliamentary decision," said MacKay Wednesday.

So far, the Afghan war effort has claimed the lives of 107 Canadian troops and has cost taxpayers more than $18 billion. Currently, there are 2,700 Canadian troops stationed in the country.

"Canada is carrying its fair share of the load and 2011 is the fixed date," said MacKay.

Despite MacKay's comments, some analysts have predicted that as the U.S. ramps up its war effort against the Taliban, Washington will expect key allies like Canada to ante up.

However, MacKay downplayed those suggestions.

"Look, what I think President Obama is going to do is go on an extensive tour of NATO allies requesting that they step up, that they come to the fight and provide more actual, tangible support to ensure success in Afghanistan," he said.

While the Obama administration hasn't publicly confirmed when the U.S. troop surge will come into effect, reinforcements have already started pouring into the country, CTV's Steve Chao reported Wednesday.

For example, a new unit from Illinois arrived in Kandahar province recently to help train Afghan troops, and construction projects are underway to expand the region's chief airfield, Chao reported.

Some of the upgrades include new tents and buildings for the expected 20,000 extra troops.

Maj. Gen. Mart de Kruif, NATO's commander in southern Afghanistan, said the U.S. troop surge will help tip the balance against the Taliban and will provide greater security for rebuilding the country's tattered economy and infrastructure.

Still, de Kruif warned that progress will take time.

"I am absolutely sure that although we will have a difficult year, we are setting the conditions this year for progress next year."

The U.S. reinforcements come as the Taliban wage an increasingly deadly insurgency against NATO.

While the Tories have described the 2011 withdrawal date as a fixed one, in previous years, their policy has been less clear.

In 2006, Harper travelled to Afghanistan for a surprise visit and told Canadian troops that "cutting and running is not your way.

"It's not my way and it's not the Canadian way. We don't make a commitment and then run away at the first sign of trouble. We don't and we won't."

Harper made those comments shortly after taking office as prime minister.

Those sentiments were echoed in May 2007 when Harper said that Canada "can't set arbitrary deadlines and simply wish for the best."

But his opinion seemed to shift during the fall 2008 election campaign, when Harper said: "You have to put an end date on these things."

With files from The Canadian Press