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Brussels, Oct. 5, 2016 (dpa/NAN) The international community pledged 15.2 billion dollars for Afghanistan in the next four years at talks in Brussels on Wednesday, falling slightly short of aim to renew the current level of support for the country.
“The EU and its member states pledged a total of 5.6 billion dollars over the four-year period, according to foreign policy Chief Federica Mogherini.
Afghanistan remains one of the world’s poorest and politically unstable countries, despite several multi-billion-dollar aid packages over the last 15 years.
Corruption is rife; while security remains a concern after NATO ended an anti-terrorist combat mission in 2014.
The aim of the conference, hosted by the European Union, was to keep funding for Afghanistan for the next four years on a par with the four billion dollars annually pledged in 2012.
Wednesday’s funding pledges were coupled with promises to continue supporting the country politically.
The aid is contingent on reforms by the Afghan government in areas such as strengthening democracy and the judiciary, combating corruption and strengthening the economy.
Mogherini said that by 2017, the bloc will be the largest donor of development aid to Afghanistan, European Council President Donald Tusk noted.
However, the EU has been slammed in recent days for a deal struck with Kabul on the return of economic migrants who have no right to stay in Europe.
Migration is highly sensitive in Europe, following the arrival of more than 1 million people last year.
Afghans were the second largest group, behind Syrians.
Almost half of them have been denied asylum in Europe according to the most recent figures.
Mogherini said that there was “no link” between EU funding and Kabul’s migration pledges.
“ Tusk, although noted that “we do expect countries to take back irregular economic migrants” and thanked Afghanistan for its “courage” on the issue.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier whose country pledged 480 million dollars annually till 2020 as part of the EU funds said he expected “fair cooperation” on migrant returns from Kabul.
He said this was necessary after the two countries had signed a bilateral deal.
Trading migrant refugees for vitally needed funding is “sordid and immoral”, said Horia Mosadiq of Amnesty International.
She accused the EU of a “bullying manoeuvre to wash their hands off their responsibilities to Afghans.”
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry promised that his country would keep its civilian aid “at or very near the current levels” until 2020.
In view of next month’s US elections, he said the new administration would remain “as committed as we are today. We will not abandon our Afghan friends”, Kerry added.
He specifically called on Russia, China, Pakistan, India and Iran to do their part.
He said the countries could play a special role, not only economically but also in reaching peace between Afghanistan and the Taliban insurgency.
The start of the conference on Tuesday was overshadowed by an ongoing Taliban offensive on the northern Afghan city of Kunduz that began on Monday.
On Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Afghan forces had regained control of the city, but fighting was continuing into the evening.
“Conflict remains the main obstacle to the prosperous future that the people of Afghanistan deserve,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told the Brussels conference.
“The terrorist threat was likely to remain for the medium-term future,’’ Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said.
He said that poverty was the largest challenge, with more than a third of the population living on less than 1.35 dollars a day.
“That means one or two meals a day, and low probability of their children ever attending school”, he said.
The Brussels conference included officials from 75 countries and 26 international organizations. The last pledging conference was held in Tokyo in 2012. (dpa/NAN)
OYE/IEA
Edited by Damilola Oyewole
Controlled by Idahosa Asowata