Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik had talks on Tuesday with her Afghan counterpart, Abdullah Abdullah, in the framework of the EU Foreign Ministers Troika. The meeting of the Troika, at which the EU High Representative Javier Solana, Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner and the Finnish Trade Minister Mari Kiviniemi were present in addition to Plassnik, took place in the margins of the international Afghanistan conference in London.
The EU is one of Afghanistan’s closest partners. Since 2002, the EU has made a major contribution to stability and progress in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. The European Union provided around half the international financial assistance for the presidential elections in September 2004 and around 40% of the funds for the parliamentary elections in October 2005.
The EU Troika used this opportunity to assure Foreign Minister Abdullah of the EU's willingness to continue and deepen this partnership. “Our challenge is to look to the future and ensure that our contribution continues to permit tangible improvements on the ground. Our aim is to help develop state structures capable of protecting the interests and rights of the Afghan people in the long term”, Plassnik declared. To this end, the EU is focusing in particular on measures in the security field and to combat drugs.
In November 2005, the EU and Afghanistan signed a joint declaration setting out the priorities for their future cooperation. Monday’s meeting of the Troika in London was an opportunity for a first exchange of views on further steps to implement the declaration.
Both sides welcomed in this context the new momentum in Afghanistan’s reform and reconstruction process in evidence at the international Afghanistan conference taking place simultaneously in London.
In addition to relations between the EU and Afghanistan, the latter’s relations with its neighbours and its efforts aimed at greater economic integration and cooperation in the region were also discussed.
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