Press Release - Date of Release: 02 February 2006

Arg, Kabul – H.E. Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, returned to Kabul this morning after his state visit to Switzerland and Denmark and attending a two-day international conference on Afghanistan in London.

The opening session of the conference was chaired by H.E. Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, H.E. Tony Blair, Prime Minister of Britain and H.E. Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary General, and attended by representatives from more than 60 countries and international organizations.

Speaking at the conference the President said, “Four years on from the Bonn conference, the people of Afghanistan have made great strides towards peace, stability and democracy. We owe our successes to the resilience and unfailing determination of the people of Afghanistan as well as the generous support of the international community.”

“The threat of narcotics must be fought through law enforcement and through alternative economic opportunities. This fight will prove arduous and remitting. In the past year we reduced the land under poppy cultivation by 21%, mainly through voluntary self-restraint, and we are determined to take further steps to completely eliminate this menace.”

“To improve our economy, we will focus on strengthening our country's infrastructure with particular focus on energy – especially electricity, road networks and water. We will create an enabling environment for business to grow and for our farmers to produce and market.”

“To support the implementation of our national development strategy, we are pleased that the international community is joining us in the Afghanistan Compact today. Through the Compact we, the people of Afghanistan, renew our pledge to build on the successes of the Bonn process and lead our nation's economic, social and political development.”

“A stable, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan is not a blessing for the Afghans alone; it is for all of us. On behalf of the people of Afghanistan, I pledge today that we will be a dependable asset to the security of the region and of the world.”

“With this Compact we, the people of Afghanistan, move forward to the next stage our rebuilding. Over the next five years we will increase our own expertise and capacity today we were assured of the international community's continued support and we hope they stay committed to us until we fully stand on our own two feet.”

During the conference, Foreign Secretary Straw said, “To any who, over the past four years, may have doubted international resolve to stay the course in Afghanistan today shows clearly that there has been no going back. The United Kingdom and its partners welcome Afghanistan's return to the international community and the Afghanistan Compact is recognition of our joint determination to see that the next stage of nation building succeeds.”

The UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said, “Bonn was an agreement to build institutions of governance in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan Compact is about making sure that these institutions work. Much hard work lies ahead, but Afghanistan has made remarkable progress and the people of Afghanistan deserve to know that the international community continues to stand by them.”

Altogether over $10.5 billion was pledged by the international community for rebuilding Afghanistan.

Prior to the London conference, the President visited Switzerland and Denmark to hold talks with the Dutch and Danish authorities on bilateral issues. The President also attended the 36 th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The President congratulates the people of Afghanistan on the successes of the London conference on Afghanistan and the international community pledging more than $10.5 billion for rebuilding Afghanistan. The President also thanks the people and Government of the United Kingdom for hosting the London conference for the people of Afghanistan.

Released by the Office of the Spokesman to the President
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan