British PM Makes Short Visit to Afghanistan

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, January 08, 2002

British PM Makes Short Visit to Afghanistan

British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived from Islamabad at the Bagram military airport 50 kilometers north of Kabul Monday night for a short visit to Afghanistan, according to reports from Kabul.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived from Islamabad at the Bagram military airport 50 kilometers north of Kabul Monday night for a short visit to Afghanistan, according to reports from Kabul.

Blair, who flew in from Pakistan and was due to spend only a few hours on the ground, said in a statement that his coming is to "make clear to the new interim administration that our commitment to Afghanistan is for the long run."

The British prime minister said, "The international community is here to help for the long term, but Afghanistan's future is in the hands of the Afghan people and that is exactly how it should be."

He said, "It is in all our interest that Afghanistan becomes a stable country, part of the international community once more."

Blair and Karzai headed off for a meeting held in a hangar at the airport. He is expected to review the British peace keeping force and then conclude the visit.

Asked why he did not go to Kabul, a visit which would have had more symbolic value, his spokesman said: "The prime minister is anxious not to impose any undue burden on security forces which are there."

As to why the visit was taking place in the middle of the night, the spokesman said: "All aircraft going to Bagram go in during the night."

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