Afghanistan And Future of the Region -
Keynote Address by H.E. Hamid Karzai at India Today, Delhi
Released by the Office of the Spokesman to the President Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan
02/25/2005
Keynote Address By
His Excellency Hamid Karzai
President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Afghanistan
And Future of the Region
India Today, Delhi
25 February 2005
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Honourable Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Senator Hilary Clinton
Excellencies
Distinguished guests,
Thank you Mr Purie and the ‘India Today’
for inviting me to this year’s Conclave. I also thank
the Government of India for the kind hospitality extended during
my visit. It is indeed a great pleasure to be back in India,
a country where I spent some of my life’s best years as
a student. I have very fond memories of Simla, one of the most
elegant towns I know. Simla is, by the way, both a city of learning
and reflection, as well as a remarkable holiday destination.
So, Mr Purie, you will be well advised to consider convening
your next Conclave in Simla. Although one could also make do
with Delhi.
Gentlemen and ladies,
The theme of this Conclave, Perception versus
Reality, and its focus on the future, is timely not only for
India, but for the region as well. It is also fitting, I believe,
that we have gathered in India, a country with vision, resources
and great potential, to discuss a new bold future for our countries
and for our region. Indeed, the destinies of our countries are
fundamentally interdependent. Our region is culturally rich,
naturally endowed and strategically located. Together we have
tremendous potential to grow and prosper.
However, for all our strengths and potential,
we suffer from poverty, and are vulnerable to violence, conflict
and extremist tendencies. The solution to our common challenges,
be it poverty or extremism, lies in deepening our social and
political ties, as well as increasing economic convergence in
our region. Our people already share much in common historically
and culturally. We must deepen this interconnectedness, and
broaden it economically. But to do this, we should look forward
beyond the constraints of today’s reality; perceive a
better, more prosperous future for our people; and then together
make our transition towards that goal.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Afghanistan has been called the world’s
newest democracy, due to our successful presidential election
last October. Democracy as a system of government may indeed
be unprecedented in Afghanistan, but democracy as a way of life,
a set of principles and values, is deeply embedded in our society.
We are a country of councils; the Loya Jirga (Grand Council)
has been a time-tested institution contributing, for centuries,
to the political life of our country. Our people value traditions
and find strength and comfort in community, but we are also
an individualistic society, that respects personal choices.
Afghanistan is a devout Muslim country, and Islam teaches us
that the state and society must be just; that the law must be
honoured by all; and that men and women must fulfill their responsibilities
towards humanity as well as Allah. The October election in Afghanistan,
therefore, was the fulfillment of the tenets of our faith, at
the same time as being a victory for democracy and its universal
values. But, equally, the success of our election was an emphatic
rejection by Afghans of the menace of extremism.
Speaking of extremism, in Afghanistan this phenomenon
was a legacy of the tribulations of the past twenty five years.
The Taliban phenomenon did not originate from the Afghan society,
nor did extremism. Afghanistan’s troubles, ladies and
gentlemen, began at the height of the Cold War when the former
Soviet Union invaded our country trying to impose an alien ideology
on a population that was deeply religious, and strongly jealous
of its sovereignty. We waged a 10-year Jihad, in which we received
backing from our neighbours and the Western world. While the
world’s help was crucial in enabling us to push back the
Red Army, it also opened the country to a parallel invasion,
this time by radicals and extremists. Many of our benefactors
in the war against the Soviet Union either actively propelled
extremism as an instrument to fight communism more zealously
or ignored it. And in the midst, the Afghan people endured unspeakable
horrors.
Our miseries were compounded when, after the withdrawal
of the Soviet army, the world turned a blind eye to the residues
of the war. Foreign extremists found a haven in the war-ravaged
Afghanistan, where the state was crippled and the society reduced
to bankruptcy, to wage their wars against the world. And, when
extremism grew too much in strength, and when it showed the
world its horrible face on September 11th 2001, the world ultimately
woke up to this menace. We Afghans knew the nature and force
of the menace long before 9/11, and we fulfilled our responsibility
of warning the world about it over the years. Regrettably, each
time we voiced our alarm over the danger that was brewing in
Afghanistan, we were listened to with doubt and disbelief.
Today, we know better; we must continue to fight
extremism collectively and decisively wherever it may be found.
We must defeat those who seek to use terror and violence to
dominate societies, but equally, we must address the root causes
of extremism. This struggle, in both of its dimensions, demands
broader global participation. And our recent history teaches
us that acting at the dictates of narrow self-interest is the
wrong way. Only a strategy that emphasises morality, and our
responsibility towards each other, and towards those who suffer,
is the way forward. The threat is global, and so must be our
response.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We in Afghanistan, with the help of the United
States and the rest of the international community, have fought
and won the first part of the battle with extremists. We are
now working to win the more long-term struggle, the struggle
of rebuilding Afghanistan so that our country will never again
be a safe haven for groups that define themselves by terror.
Today, in Afghanistan, I witness the future of
my country unfolding. It is a future full of promise and opportunity,
but it is also a future that we Afghans will not work alone
to create. Since the liberation of my country three years ago,
we have taken steady steps toward creating a legitimate government,
putting in place strong and effective institutions, and reviving
a war-shattered economy, with the help of the international
community, including India. During this period, we held two
successful Loya Jirgas, ratified a new constitution, conducted
national Presidential elections, and established a new Government.
Our new Constitution is enlightened and progressive.
It recognizes our cultural and religious heritage, while safeguarding
the rights of all citizens and celebrating our rich diversity.
Our election, with an almost 80 percent voter turnout -
42 percent of whom were women - was a milestone, unparalleled
in its political and historical significance for our country.
Our people will, in a few months, elect their
representatives to the parliament which will, according to the
constitution, include at least 27 percent women representatives.
A permanent independent election commission has been established
to hold the elections. The inauguration of the newly elected
legislature will complete our state structure, and provide greater
stability to our democracy.
We have also prioritized the reform of key state
institutions, including the civil service, the national army,
and the national police which were destroyed during the war.
The national disarmament program, aimed at reintegrating former
combatants into civilian life, is progressing steadily, with
more than 40,000 soldiers demobilized so far. Our judiciary
is recovering from the damages of the past, increasing in competence
and credibility. Stability, and an enhanced confidence in the
rule of law, has helped the return of normalcy to our cities
and countryside.
Long before our elections were held, three and
half million of our refugees voted their confidence with their
feet by returning home. I thank our neighbours, Pakistan and
Iran, for graciously hosting millions of our refugees for decades.
Our refugees have returned to a country where agriculture has
been revived, and construction is booming.
• Income for skilled and unskilled labour
has quadrupled, in the last three years;
• Living conditions have improved in both
cities and rural areas;
• Tens of thousands of skilled and semi-skilled
labourers from our neighbouring countries are working in Afghanistan;
• After many years of stagnation, our economy
enjoyed an annual average growth of 20 percent over the past
three years;
• We have reformed our currency, facilitating
commerce more efficiently and controlling chronic inflation;
• The rebuilding of infrastructure, particularly
our road network and communication industry, is creating the
potential to facilitate regional trade at an unprecedented scale;
• Once our road network is complete, Afghanistan
will regain its former status as a land-bridge in the region,
connecting Central Asia, South Asia and the Middle East;
• Afghanistan is a vast market, largely
unexploited, where investment has very high returns;
• Hundreds of foreign companies, including
many from India, are finding themselves lucrative deals, while
also contributing to the reconstruction of Afghanistan;
• Indeed, we are hoping that India will
support the idea of a trans-Afghanistan natural gas pipeline,
and that Indian firms will be involved in its construction.
Make no mistake, ladies and gentlemen, Afghanistan
is not yet out of the woods, as they say. The effects of massive
devastation caused by 25 years of war are very much present
in our country. By many development indicators, Afghanistan
is still among the poorest countries of the world. Our institutions
are not yet adequately strong. Poppy cultivation and the drug
economy, which thrive on the poverty and exploitability of our
farmers, still remain obstacles to stability. These are tough
challenges, but they are surmountable. They are surmountable
in the face of the determination of the Afghan people, and the
support of our international partners.
In short, ladies and gentlemen, Afghanistan is
emerging from a painful past, and moving towards a better future,
a future which sparkles with hope and promise, a future of peace
and of prosperity. Since embarking on this new journey, many
helping hands have been extended to us. I am very grateful,
as are all Afghans, for the generous commitment and support
we have received from the United States, Europe, Japan, our
neighbours, including India, Iran, Pakistan, China and other
countries.
And let me take a moment to especially highlight
India’s excellent contribution to Afghanistan. Your country
is helping us build a major highway in the west of our country;
construct the Salma hydro-electricity dam near Herat; build
the power transmission line to Kabul from the north of Afghanistan;
and - more notably - construct the building for
Afghanistan’s future parliament. Another crucial area
of assistance is the contribution to our radio and TV stations
that were destroyed during years of war. The Afghan people are
grateful to you - the people of India - for your
contributions.
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is time that we, together, articulate a new
vision for our region. Our people need, and deserve, to be uplifted
economically. We need to remove political barriers between us.
Where extremists have tried to build walls, we are building
bridges. We must harness and share our capacities for the benefit
of more people in this region. We must seize the opportunity
of the ‘global village’, by creating our own ‘regional
village’ of peace and prosperity first.
In the same spirit, I am delighted to hear of
the steps towards better relations that India and Pakistan have
taken over the last few months. We all realise that establishing
a bus link between Sri Nagar and Muzafarabad is not simply about
ferrying people between the two cities; it is also a highly
symbolic step showing the desire of the people of India and
Pakistan for better, more interconnected and more prosperous
lives. Such steps are vital if our region is to enjoy stability
and prosperity.
And finally, ladies and gentlemen, the emergence
of a stable, democratic, and thriving Afghanistan, eager to
cooperate, is a great opportunity for the region. Afghanistan
is keen to play its part in promoting economic convergence in
our region. We are constructing our highways, so that markets
and capitals in the region can be connected. We are working
on the oil and gas pipeline project, so that energy reservoirs
in one part of the region can be linked, through the shortest
and quickest route, to consumer markets in other parts. Afghanistan
will once again become a crossroads of trade and commerce, bridging
South and Central Asia and the Middle East. We do this because
it is our future, but we also realize that it is a future we
share with you in this region. And, just as India and other
countries of the region have joined in rebuilding Afghanistan,
may we hope that a shared vision for the future of this region
will bring us firmly and determinedly together.
Thank you!
