Dear All,
I saw a new where all participates said "The decisions made at Bonn Conference will be implemented" But couldn't find what decisions been made. I been searching for the list, but couldn't find, can somebody share that? I am sure that will help everyone in understanding current situation.
BONN, Dec 5: The Bonn conference convened on Monday to
discuss Afghanistans future after Nato troops leave in 2014 pledged sustained support for another decade, assuring the Kabul government that we will not let you meet the same fate as your predecessors met after the Soviet pullout.
Participants, including US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, vowed to stand by Afghanistan as it struggles to establish security and stability.
This renewed partnership between Afghanistan and the international community entails firm mutual commitments in the areas of governance, security, the peace process, economic and social development, and regional cooperation, the conferences conclusions said.
The protection of civilians, strengthening the rule of law and the fight against corruption in all its forms remain key priorities.
President Hamid Karzai told around 1,000 delegates that his government needed long-term international backing.
We will need your steadfast support for at least another decade after the troops pull out, he said.
The meeting came 10 years after another conference here put an interim Afghan government under President Karzai in place after US-led troops ousted the Taliban in the wake of the Sept 11 attacks.
However, Pakistan and the Taliban decided to stay away, dampening already modest hopes for real progress.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle insisted there would be no rush to the exit. We send a clear message to the people of Afghanistan: we will not leave you alone, you will not be abandoned, he said, pledging help in comments echoed by Chancellor Merkel in a brief address.
Hillary Clinton announced the United States was ending a freeze on hundreds of millions of dollars in development funds due to financial reforms by the Afghan government.
The entire region has a stake in Afghanistans future and much to lose if the country again becomes a source of terrorism and instability and that is why we would of course have benefited from Pakistans contribution to this conference, she said.
National reconciliation, along with the transition to Afghan sovereignty and international engagement after 2014, had originally topped the conferences agenda. But such hopes soured after tentative contacts collapsed and the September assassination of President Karzais peace envoy, former president Burhanuddin Rabbani.
President Karzai insisted he remained open to talks. The political process will continue to be inclusive, open to Taliban and other militants who denounce violence, break ties with international terrorism, accept the Afghan constitution and defend peaceful life, he said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi underlined his countrys objections to international forces retaining a presence in Afghanistan after the Nato combat troops pull out.
He said Iran suspected a bid by Nato member countries to maintain a regional foothold.
Certain western countries are attempting to enlarge their influence in Afghanistan after 2014 with their military presence, which contradicts their efforts to support peace and security.
We think that any regional or international initiative to re-establish peace in Afghanistan can only succeed if the possibility of maintaining foreign troops there is rejected.
Mr Salehi said Iran would continue to contribute to Afghanistans reconstruction and extends the offer of cooperation to other countries for this aim.
But the international troops presence over the last decade had done nothing to diminish the development of terrorism or establish peace in Afghanistan, he said.
There are around 140,000 international troops in Afghanistan and all Nato-led combat forces are due to leave by the end of 2014. However, some member countries, including the US, have indicated they intend to maintain a supportive military presence.Agencies