Meeting on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan Opens, Karzai to Visit China

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, January 21, 2002

Meeting on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan Opens, Karzai to Visit China

The International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan opened Monday morning at Pamir Hotel in Tokyo.

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The International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan opened Monday morning at Pamir Hotel in Tokyo.

The two-day conference, co-chaired by Japan, the United States,Saudi Arabia, and European Union, is participated by leaders and representatives from 66 countries and 22 international organizations.

Hamid Karzai, chairman of the Interim Administration of Afghanistan, will lead a delegation to visit China after attending a two-day International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan, which starts Monday.

Leaders of the two countries will talk about all bilateral and regional issues that are of "interest and importance" to both sides, said Samad in an interview with Chinadaily. "We will embark on this new relationship based on a new set of principles that will benefit both countries," he said.

In his inaugural speech, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi pledged 500 million dollars over the next two and half years for the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

He noted that Japan will focus its contribution on resettling refugees, removing landmines and education.

However, he emphasized, "the future of Afghanistan has to be built by its own people. The international community can proceed with its efforts for reconstruction, only when the reconciliation process is advanced smoothly by the people of Afghanistan."

The U.N. secretary General Kofi Annan in his speech said that the conference open a window of opportunities for recovery of Afghanistan but warned that success can not be taken for granted.

He expressed his hope that The Afghan people be given "a chance to rebuild a state at peace with itself and its neighbors; a statecapable of providing security and services such as shelter and schools; a state, in short, that has not 'failed' but can fulfill its responsibilities and achieve its aspirations."

Hamid Karzai, Chairman of the interim administration of Afghanistan, expressed his gratitude for the help of the international communities. He stressed that Afghans will always strive to be self-sufficient and self reliant.

"Our destination is Afghan self-sufficiency, we must start with international financial assistance, but one day our goal is that the rule of law and transparent systems would eventually allow us to realize the potential of our own natural and human resources. "he said.

He hopes that the international aid would be replaced by foreign direct investment and the new Afghanistan would bring prosperity to its trading partners and stability to this region.

The two-day conference, co-chaired by Japan, the United States,Saudi Arabia, and European Union, is participated by leaders and representatives from more than 60 countries and 20 international organizations.

The conference is expected to collect billions of dollars to rebuild the war-ravaged Afghanistan. According to a joint estimateby the World Bank, the United Nations Development Program and the Asian Development Bank released prior to the conference, 5 billiondollars are needed for the first two and half years of reconstruction of Afghanistan which has been devastated by wars during the past 23 years. They put the whole amount of reconstruction fund at 14.6 billion dollars, a figure difficult tomeet at this conference by donor nations.

Press reports say that the United states is ready to provide 290 million dollars, while Britain and Germany will contribute 280 million dollars respectively. Other nations, including France ,Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, participating in this conference will also follow suit but observers here warned that there should not be high expectations.

The international community began coordinating on reconstruction of Afghanistan following the U.S. troops won a battle against the Afghan Taliban forces in November. The former Afghan regime was charged of harboring the prime suspect Bin Ladenwho had been accused of masterminding the attack on U.S. trading center in New York on September 11 last year.

Afghanistan Needs 30 Billion Dollars for Reconstruction: Deputy-Chairman

Afghan Deputy-Chairman of the Interim Government Mohammad Mohaqiq said here Sunday that an amount of 30 billion U.S. dollars is needed for the reconstruction of his war-ravaged country.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Mohaqiq, who is also minister of planning in the interim government led by Hamid Karzai, said, "we expect that the international community will help Afghanistan in its reconstruction process with donations as more as possible as the country has been devastated by different wars during the past 23 years."

He said that the interim government is facing urgent needs of funds to get the government running. After the ministries were formed last December, he said, the government found itself even lack of money to pay the salaries of government employees.

However, he gave the priority to the rehabilitation plan for more than five million Afghan refugees abroad who should return to their homeland once peace is holding. He said within two years not only the refugees abroad should be resettled, but also those inside the country that their homes have been destroyed by the wars.

He said that revitalization of agriculture, small industries and education are also among the priorities of the reconstruction plan of the interim government if enough fund is available.

He emphasized that the international aid is absolutely urgent, but if the world could not come up to the expectations of the Afghans, they would also try their best to stand on their own feet.

He said that representatives from different political groups in the interim government are cooperating well and closely without any confrontations except quarrels over implementation of some development plans as all ministries try to get more fund for their own.

Mohaqiq is one of the ministers in the Afghan team led by Chairman Karzai to attend the International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan scheduled for January 21-22. More than 60 countries and 21 international organizations are to participate in the gathering. About 50 billion dollars are supposed to be collected from donor countries during the conference for the Afghan reconstruction plan.

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