| Author (Person) | Beatty, Andrew |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.12, No.3, 26.1.06 |
| Publication Date | 26/01/2006 |
| Content Type | News |
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By Andrew Beatty Date: 26/01/06 The EU will be unable to pledge further funds for Afghanistan at a major international conference next week, because a final deal has not been reached on the EU's budget for 2007-13. The conference, which will take place in London on 31 January, will bring together donors from all over the world to agree a blueprint for relations between Kabul and the international community over the next five years. Despite EU government leaders agreeing to a budget deal in December, the European Parliament has rejected the proposed settlement and talks between the two institutions are not expected to reach a conclusion before the conference. With the EU's current five-year EUR 1 billion pledge for Afghanistan set to run out at the end of this year, the delay leaves the Afghan government facing uncertainty over what level of support it will receive from one of its biggest donors. However EU diplomats this week played down the significance of the delay, saying that the focus of the conference was not to find more donations. "The main aim is to launch a new phase of international support for Afghanistan," said Nicola Stanton of the UK's foreign office. "There will be a pledging element, but that will not be the main thrust of the conference. It will be about ensuring that pledges are effectively used. The theme is Afghanistan taking control of its own future." EU national governments will be able to pledge individually. The EU is expected to make a fresh pledge after the budget has been agreed. The Austrian presidency hopes an agreement with the Parliament will be reached in May. Prime Minister Tony Blair will open the two-day with United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Afghan President Hamid Karzai expected to attend. The US is expected to announce its willingness to double its reconstruction funding over the next five years and to challenge the EU to do likewise. A Commission spokes-person said that the EU was expected to be able to make a "substantial pledge" at a later date. Karzai is also expected to press for the international community to stump up more money for reconstruction, with previous donations failing to reach Kabul's estimates of what is needed to rebuild the country. Afghanistan's ambassador to the EU, Humayon Tandar, called on the international community to let his country take ownership of the reconstruction process. The conference will mark the end of the so-called Bonn process which set in motion a string of elections and the establishment of a new constitution. The international community is now looking towards improving security, human rights and the rule of law in the country - the difficulty of which has been highlighted by a recent spate of suicide bombings. The meeting will agree an 'Afghanistan Compact'- described as a framework for engagement for the international community in the next five years, which also sets out benchmarks for the Afghan government to meet in return for funding. Article reports that the EU would be unable to pledge further funds for Afghanistan at the London Conference on Afghanistan hosted by the United Kingdom 31 January - 1 February 2006, because a final deal had not been reached on the EU's budget for 2007-13. |
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| Subject Categories | Economic and Financial Affairs |
| Countries / Regions | Europe, Southern Asia |
