Brussels, 18/02/2009 (Agence Europe) - On the eve of the Worldwide Security Conference (WSC) to unfold in Brussels on Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 February, Hekmat Karzai, the founder and director of the Afghan Centre for Conflict and Peace Studies (CAPS) in Kabul, General Philippe Morillon, Hank Crumpton (ALDE, France) who chairs the Crumpton Group and who is former US counter-terrorism coordinator, and Ona Juknevièienë (ALDE, Lithuanian), who heads the delegation for Central Asia, discussed the situation in Afghanistan during a press conference at the European Parliament.
The new US administration has changed position compared to the Bush era by stressing the need for a global approach instead of just military action. It also trusts there will be better coordination between all actors present in Afghanistan. Comments held during the press conference were in support of this new initiative. To date, “92% of aid has been provided by military means” without any joint political strategy, Mr Karzai regretted. The United States also recently admitted a solution in a regional context was needed, underpinning the participation of Afghanistan's neighbouring countries. This, according to General Morillon, is a “real source of hope”. Representatives from Iran, India, China, Pakistan, and others, are to take part in the 6th Worldwide Security Conference.
Mr Crumpton called for four approaches to be followed: (1) the local approach to meet the different needs from village to village; (2) the national approach by strengthening institutions; (3) the regional approach involving Afghanistan's neighbours; and (4) the worldwide approach.
Ona Juknevièienë called for a consultation exercise with the Afghan people on the subject of the decisions and measures to be taken in order to develop and take the country forward. To date, only the government and officials have been consulted and “the public does not trust politicians”, she said. The National Solidarity Programme (NSP) which distributes funds once the population of the region concerned has been consulted for projects that are truly necessary is one of the main achievements to date in Afghanistan, Mr Karzai said. (E.M./transl.jl)