Brussels, 17/12/2009 (Agence Europe) - The aim of the EU's new Action Plan for Afghanistan and Pakistan is to encourage peace in the region by supporting the 'Afghanisation' process of allowing the country to manage its own problems, explained Cecilia Malmtröm in her presentation of the new Action Plan to the European Parliament. She said that the EU expected Afghanistan to make an effort itself as changes had to be made and five years without change was simply not good enough. She said the EU Council of Ministers was prepared to help the country but believes the Afghans have to understand that it is their own government that is responsible for improving the country. This will not be possible without effective public institutions, tackling corruption, improving farming and increasing cooperation with other countries in the region like Pakistan, which has, she said, made 'impressive' moves towards democracy since the 2008 elections but has to do more to shake off the 'genuine threat' of the Taliban and to take responsibility for the country's security.
Speaking on behalf of the European Commission, Catherine Ashton said the EU has to make a 'coherent contribution' to help Afghanistan and to coordinate these efforts with the international community. The 28 January 2010 donor conference in London will give Hamid Karzaï a chance to set out his ideas and plans. She said the rule of law and improving farming (including moving away from opium poppy farming) are key focusses for the European Union's work in the country. Catherine Ashton highlighted the need for better elections. After the debate, the High Representative said she had talked about these issues with the NATO secretary-general, with General Chrystal of the United States and with Hilary Clinton and the EU was well aware of NATO's work and that of its partners. She said Pakistan had to become a stable, terrorist-free democracy, getting over its mistrust of India. To help it in this direction, the EU is prepared to provide more resources but needed the right people, the right qualities and coherence amongst the donors, added Catherine Ashton. An EU/Pakistan summit will take place under the Spanish Presidency in the first six months of next year.
All MEPs want the region to be stabilised and to see an end to terrorism but many were sceptical about the EU's ability to achieve its aims, with some asking whether the cash the EU has donated to Afghanistan since 2001 had actually arrived where it was supposed to and whether it had been properly used. Some MEPs wonder what on earth the EU is trying to do in Afghanistan, a country where everyone agreed that history had shown that it was simply not possible for the West to win a war. The main EU aim was to destroy the Al-Qaida training camps, said French MEP Philippe Juvin of the EPP, adding that this had been done. Other EPP MEPs said that the West should not leave until the country has been given a chance to govern itself and the EU's ideas about this do not always coincide with Afghan ideas. The Afghans have to be required to combat corruption, the growing of opium poppies and drug trafficking, stressed other EPP members. Michael Gahler (EPP, Germany) regretted that the EU Action Plan did not contain any practical measures to improve dialogue between Afghanistan and Pakistan, countries with thousands of miles of common borders, most of which are not monitored and impossible to monitor, in fact. People say that anyone who stays in Afghanistan for more than a year is no longer a friend, but a foe, an occupier, explained Elmar Brok, urging EU Member States and institutions to come up with a reasonable exit strategy to get European soldiers out of Afghanistan as soon as possible without leaving chaos in their wake.
On behalf of the S&D group, Roberto Gualtieri (Italy) took a more positive view of the EU's Action Plan that rightly stresses strong commitment from civilians and politicians. Gualtieri welcomed the declared aim of Barack Obama's new strategy - sending more troops to protect civilians and boost the Afghan forces. Portuguese Socialist Ana Gomes said Afghanistan must not be abandoned to its fate.
The European Union spends a billion euros a year in Afghanistan, a country whose GDP is less than 7 billion euros, pointed out Pino Arlacchi (Italy, ALDE). This is a huge amount of money and can change a country's destiny, he said. Arlacchi is the EP's rapporteur on the EU's new strategy for Afghanistan. He said he found it very difficult to get clear information about exactly how these huge sums of money from the EU were being used. Catherine Ashton told him that information was available and the aid was being properly managed but there was room for improvement. Luxembourg's Charles Goerens (Liberal) said that although the EU had discovered its limitations with the Afghan problem, NATO's military action was destined for defeat without the EU's diplomatic support. In order to be successful, the EU had to mobilise critical mass among Afghanis prepared to work to rebuild their country and make it democratic.
People should not underestimate the problems facing people in their daily life in Afghanistan, warned Jean Lambert (UK, Greens/EFA), like the fact that Afghan police officers are little more than cannon fodder for the Taliban. From the same political party, French MEP Nicole Kiil-Nielsen said that investment should focus on helping people in areas like education, healthcare and transport. She pointed out that the unimaginable had happened and there was now a woman governor in the Bamyan province. Germany's Reinhard Bütikofer regretted the paltry impact of Afghan training programmes and called for more sustained effort.
Speaking on behalf of the European Conservatives and Reformers, Charles Tannock said that NATO could not be allowed to fail in Afghanistan. He drew attention to the potential catastrophe of Pakistan, which has nuclear weapons but weak leadership. The EU gives Pakistan aid and just provide strong guarantees about how the aid is used, added Tannock, stressing the parlous state of Pakistan compared with the stability and moderation in another EU partner country, India. ISAF's work in Afghanistan is crucial, agreed Geoffrey Van Orden. He said the EU was providing practical solution to the country's problems but solely by means of military action.
Spanish GUE MEP Willy Meyer, concerned about the danger of Afghanistan turning into the new Vietnam, totally rejected this. The same view was expressed from the other side of the room by British National Party MEP Andrew Brons, who was astonished at now naïve Europeans are about Afghanistan. He said it was not possible to impose the EU's ideas about good governance on a tribal system where everyone concerns themselves with their own tribe. (L.G. trans fl)