The EU’s civilian aid strategy in Afghanistan is insufficient and needs to be revamped before the next government takes office in the country, EU foreign ministers said on Saturday.
The bloc’s 27 ministers agreed there was “a need to reinforce our political, civilian and economic efforts in Afghanistan,” as they wrapped up two-day talks in Stockholm, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said.
“We have not been good enough,” Bildt said.
He said a new aid strategy must tackle corruption and ineffective aid projects and should coincide with a new Afghan president and government that the West hopes will take office shortly.
Afghan election votes were still being tabulated, but results from 60 percent of polling stations counted so far show Afghan President Hamid Karzai leading with 47.3 percent, followed by former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah with 32.6 percent. Karzai needs a majority to avoid a two-man runoff.
As part of a new EU aid plan, which could see an increase in funding, Afghan officials will be required to spend the aid money they get more wisely, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said.
“When we talk about a government ... it means a government that is not corrupt,” Solana said.
International donors have been stepping up demands that Afghanistan confront pervasive corruption in government, while sending as much as US$1 billion to the country outside official channels to avoid it being siphoned by corrupt officials. But with little coordination between the donors and government, officials have said it was unclear exactly how much total cash is available or spent for specific purposes.
EU member states have spent more than 9 billion euros (US$13 billion) in aid to Afghanistan since 2002, mostly in propping up the government’s finances and supporting UN projects.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said more funding could be needed to expand Afghan government programs “mainly to work with the Afghan people and not to bomb them.”
Kouchner said donors had to step up efforts to sideline insurgents, noting “the Taliban offers $50 to a family ... You know what we pay the Afghan troops? We pay their troops less than half what the Taliban pays.”
“We should pay more, and we should develop more their forces,” Kouchner said.
When Shanghai-based designer Guo Qingshan posted a vacation photo on Valentine’s Day and captioned it “Puppy Mountain,” it became a sensation in China and even created a tourist destination. Guo had gone on a hike while visiting his hometown of Yichang in central China’s Hubei Province late last month. When reviewing the photographs, he saw something he had not noticed before: A mountain shaped like a dog’s head rested on the ground next to the Yangtze River, its snout perched at the water’s edge. “It was so magical and cute. I was so excited and happy when I discovered it,” Guo said.
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