Afghanistan Reestablishes Diplomatic Relations
with Brazil
Embassy of Afghanistan
09/13/2004
Washington, D.C. - Said Tayeb Jawad, Ambassador
of Afghanistan to the United States, met today with H.E. Luiz
Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil, at the Presidential
Palace in Brasília to reestablish Afghanistan’s
diplomatic relations between the two countries. Ambassador Jawad
presented his credentials as non-resident Ambassador of Afghanistan
to Brazil. He also delivered a message from President Hamid
Karzai to President Lula da Silva and a message from Foreign
Minister Abdullah to Mr. Celso Amorim, Foreign Minister of Brazil.
In his message, President Karzai welcomed the
reestablishment of Afghanistan’s relations with Brazil
stating, “I hope that the visit of Ambassador Jawad will
mark the resumption of lasting relations between Afghanistan
and Brazil.” In his message to Minister Amorim, Minister
Abdullah praised Brazil’s significant achievements in
economic development and said, “We look forward to collaborative
relations with Brazil and will appreciate both Brazil’s
private sector investment in Afghanistan and development assistance
to help rebuild Afghanistan.”
Commenting on his Brazil visit, Ambassador Jawad
said, “Brazil is the tenth largest economy in the world
and is South America’s leading economic power. It is a
regional and global leader with vast resources. Afghanistan
is emerging as a trade hub in Central Asia and looks forward
to investment by Brazilian companies.” Praising Brazil’s
leadership in collective security efforts, Ambassador Jawad
said that “we will greatly appreciate Brazil’s aid
especially in the security sector, to help train and equip Afghanistan’s
security forces including counter-narcotics and border police
to combat drug-trafficking and terrorism.”
Having emerged from over two decades of war and
destruction, the government of Afghanistan is actively pursuing
a policy of engagement in international affairs, while seeking
the assistance of the international community in rebuilding
Afghanistan. The Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has striven
hard over the past three years to restore Afghanistan’s
relations with the international community and has successfully
established more than 70 diplomatic missions abroad. Ambassador
Jawad has been accredited to Mexico and is planning to visit
Argentina, Panama and Colombia.
Afghanistan’s first indirect diplomatic
relations with Brazil began in 1962. Prime Minister Hashim Maiwandwal,
who served as Afghanistan’s Ambassador to the United States
during 1958-1963, became Afghanistan’s first non-resident
Ambassador to Brazil. Relations between the two countries stalled
after the breakdown of government institutions in Afghanistan
after the Soviet invasion in 1979.
Contact:
M. Ashraf Haidari
(202) 483-6410, (Ex-811)
[email protected]
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