Speech of President Karzai at the Conference
of Heads of States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
(SCO)
Shanghai, China
06/15/2006
Your Excellency Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies Heads of states,
Ladies and Gentlemen!
I am honored to have been invited to this session
of Shanghai Cooperation Organization and am very pleased to
be in this beautiful and historical city of Shanghai. Allow
me to thank the organizers of the conference and the people
of China for the very warm and generous hospitality extended
to me and my delegation.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen!
Prior to September 11, 2001, Afghanistan, as part
of a scheme by foreign elements, had turned into a safe haven
for international terrorism. It is evident that the situation
not only dismantled Afghanistan’s economy and infrastructures
and damaged the social fabric of Afghan society but it also
caused great detriment to the other countries of the region
and beyond.
With the defeat of terrorism by our people which
was made possible through support and cooperation by the international
community, today Afghanistan is a free country and a reliable
strategic partner in the war against terrorism. We Afghans have
endured the biggest sacrifices in the war against terror and
have suffered the most in the hands of terrorism; that is why
fighting it is at the top of our priorities at the regional
level.
The people of Afghanistan are committed to do
their utmost to make sure that our country does not become,
once again, a center of destructive activities against other
countries and that no terrorist groups could feel safe on our
soil.
On the other hand, the presence of international
community in our country to continue the war on terror, strengthen
state institutions and to rebuild the economic infrastructures
is essential. Such presence is in the interest of our country,
the region and the world because the remnants of terrorism pose
a global threat that can endanger the achievements of Afghanistan,
the countries of the region and the international community.
I have full confidence that the countries in our region concur
with me on this issue and will continue to support us as before
in achieving our common goals.
We believe that terrorism is a global challenge
and that fighting it requires joint international determination,
cooperation and effective measures. The critical issue is that
terrorism has moved up into an organized destructive level and
the terrorist networks have now gained considerable influence
in some States. As we are committed to prevent Afghanistan from
turning into a base of terrorist activities against others,
we expect other countries as well to pay attention to this issue.
Your Excellency Mr. Chairman!
In the last four and half years, Afghanistan has
taken great strides towards the establishment of a state based
on rule of law, building state institutions, reconstruction,
economic growth and trade between Afghanistan and countries
of the region. These achievements are indeed objectives that
are also incorporated as part of the SCO framework.
In addition to establishing political infrastructures
in the country, we have paved the ground for the growth of economic
cooperation as an important principle of our regional policy.
We believe that the development and welfare of the people in
the region cannot be achieved independently and that we have
a shared destiny. We believe that the development of Afghanistan
is only possible through cooperation with the other countries
in the region. On our part, we have taken important steps. To
cite just one example of such cooperation, the exports of the
Islamic Republic of Pakistan to Afghanistan during the Taliban
was no more than 25 million dollars a year while now this has
risen to almost 1.3 billion dollars. We have reformed our laws
dealing with Custom Duties, Taxes, Trade and Foreign Investment
and will continue to do so to create further facilities for
businesspeople and investors.
Your Excellency Mr. Chairman,
Afghanistan wants to further strengthen coordination
and expand cooperation with the SCO and bilaterally with the
member states of the Organization. Particularly, Afghanistan
is in favor of further SCO concentration to the fight against
terrorism and extremism and is ready to participate in any way.
Moreover, we believe that enhanced cooperation multilaterally
and bilaterally in the areas of combating organized crimes,
production and trafficking of illicit drugs and arms trafficking
is in our interest.
The people of Afghanistan have made a commitment
to the international community to continue their fight against
the production and trafficking of narcotics and they are resolute
in this struggle. Our success to fight this menace needs time
and is dependent on the comprehensive support and cooperation
of the countries in the region and beyond. In reality, Afghan
farmers are the least beneficiaries of the drug trade. The main
profit goes to international mafia organizations. These organizations
must be fought decisively, and ways must be found to stop drug
trafficking more effectively.
With our membership in the South Asian Association
for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) as of July 2006, Afghanistan
will turn into a bridging point between member countries of
the SCO and SAARC. We consider this position as a good opportunity
for ourselves and our neighbors.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The road we have taken is the road towards peace,
cooperation and progress in the region. Today Afghanistan, as
part of this region and as a responsible and active member of
the family of nations, is once again extending its hands of
friendship and co-existence to all the countries, particularly
to our neighbors and member states of SCO. We are grateful that
our message of friendship has met with positive response from
our neighbors and members of Shanghai Cooperation Organization
in the last four years. I am confident that the continuation
of this friendship will be beneficial in creating a safer world
and contribute to long-term peace and prosperity of our people
in the region.
I wish you, Excellencies, success in achieving
our common humane and peace-loving aspirations.
Thank you
