Afghan president to make his first visit to the EU

Date: 24/03/05

Afghan President Hamid Karzai will visit the EU institutions in May, his first such trip since taking power three years ago.

Karzai will visit the European Parliament in Strasbourg to address the plenary session on 10 May. His trip follows an invitation from the European Parliament President Josep Borrell.

Karzai will also visit Brussels where he will meet representatives of the European Commission, the Council of Ministers and NATO.

Since the US ousted the Taliban in 2001, Afghan diplomacy has focused on bilateral relations and NATO, which has taken a lead role in international efforts to secure the country, heading the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). While the ISAF operates predominantly in Kabul, much of the country is outside government or ISAF control and Karzai announced last week that parliamentary elections scheduled for May will now take place on 18 September.

With widespread poverty, security concerns and rising opium production, the country is looking to the international community for assistance.

"It is his first visit, I am sure he will have a lot to discuss," said an Afghan diplomat, pointing to the need for Afghanistan to receive further assistance from the EU's next budget for 2007-13. The Commission has pledged €1 billion in assistance to Afghanistan for 2002-07.

According to UN statistics Afghanis have a life expectancy of 43 years.

Preview of a visit of Afghan President Hamid Karzai to the EU institutions in May 2005, his first such trip since taking power in 2002. Karzai was to visit the European Parliament in Strasbourg to address the plenary session on 10 May. His trip followed an invitation from the European Parliament President Josep Borrell. Karzai also planned to visit Brussels where he was to meet representatives of the European Commission, the Council of Ministers and NATO.