In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful A message of Appreciation to Member States at the NATO Summit in Wales From Afghan Presidential Candidates Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai Prime Minister David Cameron, Secretary General Rasmussen, Excellencies Heads of State and Government, Ladies and gentlemen, It is an honor for us both as Afghanistan’s leading presidential candidates to share our views from afar with the distinguished participants at this NATO Summit being held in beautiful Newport, Wales. As we all know, this summit meets at a time when global peace and stability face major threats, requiring new responses from NATO. In Afghanistan we now have the opportunity to renew, refine and deepen our partnership with you. The NATO combat mission, during which your sons and daughters paid the ultimate sacrifice as global citizens, will end in December of 2014. We express deep appreciation to the NATO alliance and other partner countries within the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) for their unforgettable sacrifices, steadfast commitment and enduring partnership in helping Afghanistan to make great strides towards our common objective of attaining self-reliance in the security sphere. We are delighted to note that the Afghan national forces are now leading all combat missions and will now assume the responsibility for upholding our sovereignty and ensuring our security. We are proud to affirm that, thanks to our joint investment in improving our security forces, we have together enabled the departure of more than 80,000 ISAF/NATO troops while preserving order. Our all-volunteer security forces are showing their commitment to fulfilling their patriotic duties, upholding the sovereignty of the nation and making good on their commitment to shoulder responsibilities in our joint struggle against international terrorism and organised crime. Our security forces could not have reached their current level of readiness without NATOs commitment of human and material resources. Our strategic vision for the decade of the transformation, commencing in 2015, is framed by the commitments of the Lisbon and Chicago Summits. We thank President Obama for affirmation of the commitments made by the United States for its support in the coming decade. We are heartened by your affirmation as leaders of our partner countries to fulfil the pledges made at Chicago to assist, train and advise our security forces. This is critical to achieving our vision of our security forces as institutions that will perform their patriotic duties under civilian leadership, uphold the rule of law, and adhere to democratic values. Your continued role in supporting our forces with enablers is, therefore, crucial to achieving this task. In line with the strategy adopted at the Lisbon Summit in 2010, ISAF’s combat mission will conclude by the end of this year. However, in order for us to solidify our gains and sustain the training, advising and assistance that Afghan forces need beyond 2014, we welcome the decision made at the Chicago Summit in 2012 to commit to an Enduring Partnership. At the previous Summit, ISAF nations reaffirmed their enduring commitment to Afghan security beyond 2014, and Afghanistan welcomed this initiative. The people of Afghanistan, during our election campaigns, as well as an Afghan Loya Jirga convened in 2013 endorsed the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) negotiated with the United States. We are fully committed to signing the BSA and SOFA agreements to honour the decision of the representatives of the people of Afghanistan in order to continue this partnership with our allies. We do emphasise, however, that the current conditions warrant maintaining Afghan force levels at current numbers until conditions change on the ground. This in turn will require that all our partners commit to the long-term financial sustainment of ANSF based on the developing security environment. Excellencies! The common threat that brought us together has not vanished. The networks of violence and terror as manifested by the emergence of ISIS is a statement of the rejection of the international system based on states. To contain this threat, we must all be resolute to stay the course in our common fight against terrorism and extremism. Long lasting historic conflicts may have been contained on the battlefield but have ultimately secured peace at the negotiating tables. We are therefore committed to a comprehensive peace strategy that will bring about true and lasting peace and reconciliation within the framework of our constitution and renunciation of terrorism and violence. A peaceful Afghanistan will provide a platform for immense economic opportunities for the Asian Continent. Our vast natural resources and minerals give us the opportunity to attain self reliance. A renewed partnership, adjusted to todays global context, will give us all immense opportunities to reach the goal of achieving a peaceful, stable and democratic Afghanistan that will honour the great sacrifice that your sons and daughters made along side our people. We believe in an inclusive political vision, we will form a government of national unity that will honor the epic participation of our people in the electoral process. This government of national unity will have both the political will and the capacity to design and implement sustainable reforms to transform the lives of our people and turn Afghanistan into a center of stability and prosperity. We take this opportunity to wish all of you a very successful Summit in Wales. Sincerely, Dr. Abdullah AbdullahDr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 19:11:25 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015