Brussels, 14/11/2002 (Agence Europe) - Almost a year to the day since the fall of the Taliban regime, Afghanistan is on the right path, both politically and regarding reconstruction, but ongoing reforms must continue to ensure the country's lasting security and stability. This is what the European Union Troika, headed by Danish Minister of State Carsten Staur, observed when on a trip to the country on 11 and 12 November to assess progress made since the Bonn Agreement and to discuss with the Afghan Authority how the Union can best support progression towards a pacified and democratic Afghanistan. During its many talks - with President Karzai, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sherzoy, the chair of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, Samar, the Commander in Chief of ISAF (International Security and Assistance Force in Afghanistan), Zorlu, and high representatives of the United Nations (Unama) - the European Troika particularly welcomed the setting up of the most important commissions provided for by the Bonn Agreement, and the beginning of a constitutional drafting process, as well as progress in reforming the army. "The creation of a national army under civilian control is crucial for long-term stability in Afghanistan. We welcome the recent progress achieved in the reform discussions under the leadership of President Karzai and the Defence Commission. It is positive that benchmarks have been established for the future army reform and that it has been agreed to limit the army to 70,000 men. The EU will follow the implementation of the agreement closely and continue to assist the process", declared Carsten Staur. The Troika stressed the importance of a comprehensive reform process, where reforms of the financial, judicial and administrative systems as well as the security sector all have to be advanced.
The EU also placed emphasis on human rights, especially the rights of women. The EU reiterated its readiness to help the Afghan Transitional Authority and the United Nations in any investigation of past grave human rights violations, committed before the fall of the Taliban. The Europeans also encouraged their Afghan interlocutors to rapidly engage in preparing the 2004 elections by appointing an independent electoral commission responsible for monitoring the process.
The EU, whose contribution to reconstruction in Afghanistan exceeds 800 million euro for 2002 alone, confirmed its commitment to supporting the country's reconstruction and development over the coming years. Regarding this, the Troika praised the work begun by the Afghan Authority, in partnership with international donors, in developing verifiable benchmarks and monitoring systems on how to achieve the development goals.