Statement: Europe and Afghanistan: Need
for a Long-Term Partnership
Released by the Office of the Spokesman to the President
05/10/2005
Europe and Afghanistan:
Need for a Long-Term Partnership
European Parliament, Strasbourg
10 May 2005
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Your Excellency President Josep Borrell,
Honourable Members of the European Parliament,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am delighted and honored to address this distinguished
gathering, particularly as this is my first visit to the European
Parliament. It gives me great confidence for the future of Afghanistan
and our region to see the countries of Europe come together
here in a spirit of unity and cooperation. It wasn’t long
ago that the Iron Curtain divided Europe into West and East.
Yet today, that curtain has been removed to reveal a mosaic,
where each piece retains a distinct identity but together, form
a greater entity.
Two days ago, Europe celebrated the 60th anniversary
of Victory-in-Europe day, the anniversary of Europe’s
new beginning. While in the past, European conflicts had global
implications, today European cooperation is improving lives
and is a source of admiration across the world.
As you rebuilt after the Second World War, you
had security guarantees, the Marshall Plan, and an international
long-term commitment. We, the people of Afghanistan, are also
grateful for the international security and economic support
we have received over the last three years. The European Union,
in particular, has been one of the largest supporters of Afghanistan.
We are grateful for your generous contributions, the commitment
of troops from your nations, and the technical assistance you
have provided and continue to provide. Most importantly, you
show us what our region’s future could be - a future
of peace, a future of unity, and a future of cooperation.
Honourable Members,
Afghanistan was one of the least developed countries,
even before its invasion by the Soviet Union. Ten years of fighting
the Soviet invasion, followed by more than a decade of foreign
interference and factional conflict, further impoverished our
country. Our infrastructure was almost totally destroyed, our
communities devastated, and our state institutions crippled.
The long and dark years of suffering, however, did not dampen
our aspirations to build a stable, democratic and prosperous
Afghanistan. Given that opportunity in 2001, the people of Afghanistan
enthusiastically began the process of rebuilding our country.
Today, we have an enlightened and progressive constitution,
which safeguards human rights, guarantees the equality of women
and men, provides for a free-market economy, and creates a framework
for responsible government.
The first Presidential Election in our history
was held last October in which more than 8 million people voted.
The success of the election spelled, in a graphic manner, the
defeat of terrorism in Afghanistan. In particular, the massive
participation by the women of Afghanistan, 42% of the turnout,
demonstrated emphatically that the new era of social and political
rights for women had arrived.
The presence of the International Security Assistance Force,
led by Europe from the beginning, has provided us with a secure
environment to exercise our political rights. With help from
Europe and others in the international community, we have trained
a new police force of some 50,000, along with a special force
to conduct counter-narcotics operations. The new Afghan National
Army, currently 20,000 strong, is increasingly taking the responsibility
for supporting security across the country. We are accelerating
the disarmament process, disarming both regular armed forces
and illegal armed groups. More than 50,000 former combatants
have been disarmed, and over 95% of the heavy weaponry has been
cantoned.
Extensive reforms are also underway in other sectors,
including the judiciary and administration. Our judicial system
is gradually recovering in effectiveness and credibility from
the damages of war. Institutions of government and the civil
society are gaining increasingly in strength, giving the citizens
more confidence, more services and more rights to enjoy. The
Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission continues the important
work of promoting human rights through out the country. Thanks
to the open political atmosphere in Afghanistan, free press
has enjoyed great development and success as demonstrated by
the publication of more than 300 independent papers, more than
30 radio and 4 indepdent TV stations.
We realize that political and security developments
can only be sustained with corresponding improvement in the
economic area. Over the last three years, we have introduced
a new currency, stabilized inflation, and enacted numerous legal
and administrative reforms to simplify our customs and investment
processes. As a result, hundreds of millions of dollars in international
investment have flowed into Afghanistan. Certain industries
such as the hospitality sector, banks and mobile communications
have particularly benefited. Wages have increased, as has trade
and commerce with countries of the region, notably Pakistan,
Iran, Tajkistan, China and beyond.
Honourable Members,
Much has been done so far, but daunting challenges
remain ahead. Afghanistan’s social development indicators
are still dismal - we have one of the highest infant mortality
and one of the lowest life expectancy rates in the world; and
we have unacceptable levels of illiteracy, particularly among
women. Sadly, these social indicators place our country at close
to the bottom of the human development index, in fact, fifth
from the bottom.
Terrorism has been defeated as a force, but its
residues disturb our peace and tranquility. While critical steps
to establish an effective government have been taken, the ability
of the new institutions to provide security and help lift the
population out of extreme poverty is far from adequate. Poppy
cultivation and the drug economy are still afflicting our communities,
and remain obstacles to Afghanistan’s stability.
Honourable Members,
The Parliamentary Elections in September will
mark the culmination of the Bonn Process in Afghanistan. Yet,
while we will have met all the benchmarks set out in the Bonn
Agreement by the end of September, we will only be at the beginning
of a long road towards achieving the vision for Afghanistan
enshrined in that document. The end of the Bonn Process, therefore,
must not be the end of your commitment and support to Afghanistan,
but the beginning of a long-term, and more comprehensive partnership.
From Europe we need support and the assurance
that Afghanistan will continue to receive assistance in a sustainable
manner. In particular, as you deliberate here about the European
Union’s future international commitments, I hope you will
see the need for multi-year pledges of aid to Afghanistan to
support our efforts at rebuilding our country.
We also need the United Nations, the United States,
and others who have assisted us so far to reaffirm their commitment
to partnership with Afghanistan - a partnership that is
essential if Afghanistan is to achieve lasting stability, democratization
and development.
Allow me to take this opportunity to thank you
once again, on behalf of the Afghan people, for the generous
support that the European Union, as one of the largest donors
to Afghanistan, has provided over the last three years. The
people of Afghanistan are especially grateful to your sons and
daughters in uniform who are serving courageously in our country.
To those who have given their lives to provide us security,
we offer once again our gratitude, our prayers, and our pledge
that we will never forget.
Excellencies,
Today in Afghanistan, in a country totally isolated
from the world not long ago, something very unprecedented is
taking place. In true spirit of co-operation, people from all
corners of the world, people of different faiths, cultures and
backgrounds, are together to help secure the lives of the Afghan
people, and to help rebuild our country. It is clear that, without
this co-operation, Afghans would never have accomplished what
we have over the past three years. Afghanistan, ladies and gentlemen,
is as much in need of help today as Europe was 60 years ago.
Then, a long-term commitment from your friends around the world
gave you the support you needed to rebuild your lives. Today,
we are asking for that same opportunity!
Thank you.
