Brussels, 06/09/2001 (Agence Europe) - European Development Policy and Humanitarian Aid Commissioner, Poul Nielson, will be travelling to Pakistan and Afghanistan for an exclusively humanitarian ten-day mission.
The Commissioner will arrive in Pakistan on 12 September where he will meet with the Refugee Minister, Mr Khan, and the Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Sattar. Meetings with United Nations' agencies, a tour of the Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan (Jalozai and Chamshatoo) and a meeting in Peshawar (North West Pakistan) with humanitarian NGOs working in Afghanistan, are also scheduled. The Commissioner will also be meeting the Taliban authorities in Kabul and will be visiting various projects funded by ECHO (the EU's Humanitarian Aid Office) in the Afghan capital (mine clearing operations, supporting street children¸ the "Food for Work" operation, etc).
Poul Nielson will then travel to Faisabad to meet the President of the Northern Alliance of the Islamic State of Afghanistan, Mr Rabbani. On 15 September, he will visit projects funded to support women in Rostaq and will continue his mission by visiting a displaced persons camp in Khawjwbahauddin, before meeting Commander Massoud.
On 16 September, the Commissioner will meet representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Faisabad and will visit refugee reintegration camps in Herat. The next day will be spent visiting various projects in Maslakh (aid for displaced persons and drought victims, health care, supplies of drinking water and the building of shelters). His mission will end on 18 September with a tour of a displaced persons camp, followed by a meeting with the Heads of Mission of the EU Member States in Islamabad.
Not returning to Brussels until 19 September, Poul Nielson will not be able to travel as originally planned to the Democratic Republic of Congo with Javier Solana, the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, and Louis Michel, the Belgian Foreign Affairs Minister. Mr Neilson will be sending someone else in his place.