Group:Afghan security biggest issue
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 20, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Security during the upcoming Afghan elections on Aug. 20 will be an important priority, according to members of the Afghanistan and Pakistan Support Group.
Twenty-two special representatives for the group met in Istanbul on Monday to discuss the measures needed to be taken for free and fair elections in Afghanistan, civilian reconstruction in this country, and the humanitarian crisis in Pakistan.
Hosting the event for the Turkish government, Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioğlu, deputy undersecretary at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ambassador Bernd Mützelburg, Germany’s special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, met with the Turkish press yesterday in Istanbul to explain the group’s work and gave joint statements.
Richard Holbrook, special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan under the Obama administration, is a member of the support group. The group was formed to echo the deep commitment the United States is showing to Afghan and Pakistani issues, the ambassadors said. They said Turkey was a very committed member and that it played an important role in the stabilizing of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The group is a symbol of the commitment of the international community to the subject and aims to give new impetus to the international efforts, they said.
Three subjects were discussed during the group’s meeting in Istanbul, which is the third after Munich and Tokyo. The first was the electoral process in Afghanistan, which diplomats described as "a major issue." The representatives said the group wanted to make sure these second democratic elections in the country will be "free, fair, and transparent" for it will be decisive in the future of Afghanistan.
Representatives named security the major issue they were concerned about during the elections. They were happy with the voter registration process and said it had gone more positively than they had anticipated. The group is taking steps to ensure security in the country and increasing the foreign military presence is one such measure.
The second issue the group discussed during its Istanbul meeting is the civilian reconstruction in Afghanistan. Agriculture, in which 75-80 percent of the population work, takes precedence on the group’s agenda because it will provide employment to the people. The representatives said building and strengthening infrastructure and Afghanistan’s own police and military were reconstruction work the group plans to implemented after agriculture has been rebuilt.
The issue of heroin production in Afghanistan also came up during the press meeting. Although ambassadors said the issue had not been discussed by the group yet, they said they hoped the development of agriculture in the country would give alternatives to poppy production.
The third issue discussed during the support group’s meeting was the humanitarian crisis in Pakistan. The representatives said there are 1.7 million refugees since May only and that they expected this number to surpass the 2 million mark soon. The group aimed to alleviate the misery of these refugees and internally displaced person, they added. Another goal is to explore how to help Pakistan stabilize the regions it now holds. Group members are afraid the number of refugees is in fact greater as it is difficult for people to flee the depressed areas. Not having access to these regions renders making estimations to the real number of refugees difficult, the diplomats said.
Turkey is participating in the humanitarian efforts, with the Red Crescent mobilizing to send aid.
Hosting the event for the Turkish government, Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioğlu, deputy undersecretary at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ambassador Bernd Mützelburg, Germany’s special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, met with the Turkish press yesterday in Istanbul to explain the group’s work and gave joint statements.
Richard Holbrook, special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan under the Obama administration, is a member of the support group. The group was formed to echo the deep commitment the United States is showing to Afghan and Pakistani issues, the ambassadors said. They said Turkey was a very committed member and that it played an important role in the stabilizing of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The group is a symbol of the commitment of the international community to the subject and aims to give new impetus to the international efforts, they said.
Three subjects were discussed during the group’s meeting in Istanbul, which is the third after Munich and Tokyo. The first was the electoral process in Afghanistan, which diplomats described as "a major issue." The representatives said the group wanted to make sure these second democratic elections in the country will be "free, fair, and transparent" for it will be decisive in the future of Afghanistan.
Representatives named security the major issue they were concerned about during the elections. They were happy with the voter registration process and said it had gone more positively than they had anticipated. The group is taking steps to ensure security in the country and increasing the foreign military presence is one such measure.
The second issue the group discussed during its Istanbul meeting is the civilian reconstruction in Afghanistan. Agriculture, in which 75-80 percent of the population work, takes precedence on the group’s agenda because it will provide employment to the people. The representatives said building and strengthening infrastructure and Afghanistan’s own police and military were reconstruction work the group plans to implemented after agriculture has been rebuilt.
The issue of heroin production in Afghanistan also came up during the press meeting. Although ambassadors said the issue had not been discussed by the group yet, they said they hoped the development of agriculture in the country would give alternatives to poppy production.
The third issue discussed during the support group’s meeting was the humanitarian crisis in Pakistan. The representatives said there are 1.7 million refugees since May only and that they expected this number to surpass the 2 million mark soon. The group aimed to alleviate the misery of these refugees and internally displaced person, they added. Another goal is to explore how to help Pakistan stabilize the regions it now holds. Group members are afraid the number of refugees is in fact greater as it is difficult for people to flee the depressed areas. Not having access to these regions renders making estimations to the real number of refugees difficult, the diplomats said.
Turkey is participating in the humanitarian efforts, with the Red Crescent mobilizing to send aid.