Ambassador Hamdullah Mohib
Welcome from the Ambassador
Welcome to the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in the United States!
The Embassy welcomes all Afghans and Americans and will strive particularly to be a convenient doorway to Afghanistan for Americans. We welcome your support in our mission to create a self-reliant Afghanistan.
Under the leadership of President Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah, Afghanistan has entered a new era of reform. Our goal is to become a full-fledged member of the community of democratic and prosperous nations. Close ties with the United States have been essential to our progress to date and a mutually beneficial building block for the future.
A large and impressive cadre of educated and informed youth will be the key to Afghanistan's renewal. Insecurity remains our greatest obstacle, but the country is armed with new skills, energy, and hope, especially among our youth. Help and partnerships extended by the United States will enable the rising generation of Afghan men and women to achieve their historic mission.
With gratitude and deep respect we pay homage to the great sacrifices Americans have made on our behalf and especially to the 2,363 troops who perished in the struggle. We thank the million servicemen and women, and the 30,000 American civilians and aid workers, who have helped us defend and build our country. We are inspired by the American troops who have trained Afghan soldiers and then fought side by side with them.
President Ghani has now laid out a plan to advance Afghanistan's self-reliance and reform. Its full implementation is one way we can express our gratitude to you for our partnership.
A bombardment of reports on conflict in our country easily obscures the great strides that have been made--and which continue to be made--in education, health, the rights and status of women, electoral processes, infrastructure, communications, and economic development.
On any given day in our capital, Kabul, you can find 1.2 million boys and girls crowding the streets on their way to and from thousands of schools. You will meet thousands of women working side by side with male colleagues in these schools, and also in businesses, universities, hospitals and government. State-of-the-art hospitals provide comprehensive services, including advanced surgery. And you will note the thousands of ordinary Afghans who fill shops, amusement parks, restaurants, and museums. President Ghani, in his speech to Congress, perfectly captured the mood of Afghanistan's citizens: “Ordinary has escaped us, but it is what we desperately want.”
We do not minimize the challenges before us, but you should not minimize Afghanistan's commitment to address them. Real but unheralded gains are being made in electoral reform, the struggle against corruption, and fiscal sustainability through investment and regional trade. We are committed to further expanding women’s participation in the society and to removing threats of violence and discrimination directed against them. Americans know from their own history that none of these battles will be easily or quickly won. But like you, Afghans believe that their commitment and tenacity will win the day against discrimination, oppression, and terrorism.
Like Americans, Afghans possess a strong work ethic, support the family as a basic building block of a healthy society, strive for education, and are guided by faith. Afghans also know that their country was once an economic giant, with great cities and world-renowned thinkers and scientists. They look to their continuing partnership with the United States as they work to rebuild these assets.
As ambassador, I look forward to deepening the links between our countries and to building and cementing relationships in many fields from which we will all benefit.
Hamdullah Mohib (PhD)
Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan