Date: 12/06/2008   

STATEMENT FOR THE FOREIGN MINISTER AT THE PARIS CONFERENCE - 12 JUNE 2008

Your Excellencies,

Mr. Bernard Kouchner,
Foreign Minister of France ,

Dr. Rangin Dadfar Spanta,
Foreign Minister of Afghanistan ,

and

Distinguished delegates!

First of all I would like to thank the hosts and organizers for the excellent arrangements that they have made for holding this conference.

I would also like to take this opportunity to place on record, Pakistan 's deep appreciation for the leaderships of France , Afghanistan and the United Nations for convening this conference.

It has provided a timely opportunity to the international community, for taking stock of the situation, reaffirming its commitment, and accelerating its efforts, for building stability, peace and progress in Afghanistan .

Towards that end, we have to assess how far the goalposts laid down by ‘London Compact' have been achieved. And how much remains to be achieved.

In Pakistan 's view, London Compact's principal achievement has been the assistance to Afghanistan , for putting in place its physical, institutional and political infrastructure and enhancing, and preventing the Bonn Process from getting derailed.

Having said that, we need to revisit the strategy and corresponding means, worked out by the London Compact, and see where these need improvement and reinvigoration.

In doing so, first and foremost, we have to be guided by the view of the Afghan government. On this score, we have greatly benefited from the analysis and prognosis given by our Afghan friends today.

Now we have to see where and how much we could be of further assistance to them. This brings us to the question of greater international assistance to Afghanistan .

In the areas related to capacity building of the Afghan polity, governance, security and reconstruction and drug control.

Pakistan hopes the international community would not be found wanting in responding to Afghanistan 's requirements.

The complex problems in Afghanistan are not going to lend themselves to quick and neat solutions. However, greater economic assistance can help in ensuring that Afghanistan , stays the course.

Moreover, it would also send the signal that the people of Afghanistan are not alone. The international community is with them.

The international community can not be deterred by extremists and terrorists from coming to the help of Afghanistan .

And that the international community was determined to break the vicious circle of “less security - less development”, and make sustainable development -- “the overwhelming dynamic” in Afghanistan .

In this context, Pakistan is also of the view, that the international assistance to Afghanistan needs to be channeled more through its government.

We need to appreciate that in a situation like Afghanistan , the leading role by the government in reconstruction and economic development, is also essential for strengthening and enlarging the writ of the State.

It also needs to be sufficiently understood that the challenges of reconstruction, reconciliation and governance in Afghanistan , are interlinked and the strategy to overcome these challenges needs to be based on the capacity of the State.

Without Afghan ownership, it is doubtful that significant success can be achieved in any of these areas.

Pakistan on its part, will continue to have security cooperation with Afghanistan , under the mechanism of the “Tripartite Military Commission”.

Pakistan will take all feasible measures to stabilize borders with Afghanistan . But matching measures are needed by both sides. Pakistan 's commitment in war against terror is unwavering. It should not be doubted. More then one thousand Pakistani soldiers have laid down their lives in war against terror. If adding of one battalion soldiers in the fight against terror is a reason for pride, then Pakistan has more reason to be proud of in the struggle against terror.

Pakistan will also extend assistance in the construction work in Afghanistan . Moreover, it will not only revive but reinvigorate the process of ‘Joint Peace Jirga'' that is a traditional mechanism for reconciliation through dialogue.

We believe, that in the given situation, for building peace and stability, dialogue should have the primacy.

It is only when dialogue fails or starts giving diminishing returns, that other options could be revisited.

For these reasons, Pakistan hopes that avenues of dialogue, with those who are amenable to it, may be fully explored.

In the field of governance, Pakistan would like Afghanistan to avail the training programmes in the disciplines of judiciary and police, that are on offer to it for sometime.

Pakistan has been host to millions of Afghan refugees for the last three decades. Currently there are around 2.2 million of them in Pakistan .

To facilitate their repatriation, maintain their honour and security and help in their resettlement in Afghanistan , it gives me great pleasure to pledge US$ 20 millions to Afghanistan .

Pakistan would also appeal to the international community to enhance assistance for their early and safe repatriation and sustainable settlement inside Afghanistan .

Pakistan is sanguine that on their return, these proud Afghans will singularly contribute to the reconstruction and development of their homeland.

The Afghan Presidential elections scheduled in 2009 and Parliamentary elections in 2010, hold great promise for further strengthening of the democratic dispensation over there.

Afghans deserve financial and technical assistance of the international community, for holding these elections smoothly and successfully.

Recently, Pakistan also held elections in the face of serious security challenges in some of its areas.

For this reason, we feel confident in offering our experience and expertise to Afghanistan , in holding of its elections.

To conclude, I would like to emphasize that as a close neighbour of Afghanistan , having bonds of shared faith, history, heritage and indeed of common geography – the security, progress and prosperity of Afghanistan , is of vital and abiding interest to Pakistan .

And with the new and democratic government in place in Pakistan , we would like to build further on our existing brotherly ties with Afghanistan .

We believe that close and cooperative relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan are not only in the mutual interest of the two countries and its peoples, but could also become a powerful dynamic of regional cooperation.

Thank you.