President Karzai Meets with Belgium Foreign
Minister
Office of the Spokesman to the President
03/30/2006
Arg, Kabul - H.E. Hamid Karzai, President
of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, met with H.E. Karel
De Gucht, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium at the Gulkhana
palace this evening.
During the meeting, the President and Foreign
Minister Gucht discussed bilateral relations, the fight against
narcotics, the situation of Afghan refugees in Belgium and the
prospect of Afghanistan becoming a member of the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Foreign Minister Gucht expressed his willingness
to help Afghanistan become a member of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Foreign Minister Gucht suggested to the President
to send a delegation to Belgium to assess the situation of Afghan
refugees in Belgium.
Foreign Minister Gucht who holds the rotating
presidency of the OSCE proposed a plan to assist Afghanistan
with border control to stop drug smuggling.
The Government of Belgium offered to assist Afghanistan
with advanced packaging technology so that Afghanistan agricultural
products will meet both local and international standards.
On drugs, the President said, “Providing
the Afghan farmers with alternative crops is the key to fighting
narcotics.”
The President welcomed the prospect of Afghanistan
becoming a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe (OSCE) and thanked Foreign Minister Gucht for his
offer of assistance in this regard.
The President, on behalf of the people of Afghanistan,
thanked the people and Government of Belgium for their generous
assistance to the reconstruction of Afghanistan in past four
years.
For further information, please contact:
Khaleeq Ahmad, Deputy Spokesman on International
Affairs
Tel.: 00 93 70 286 853
