Summit brings recognition of Afghanistan recovery

Afghanistan was among the pioneering nations that came together at the Asian-African Conference in 1955, when the country was ruled by King Mohammed Zahir Shah. On Sunday, its recently elected president, Hamid Karzai, represented the republic in Bandung for the 50th anniversary celebrations of the event. Below are excerpts of an interview between Karzai and The Jakarta Post's Ati Nurbaiti, in which he spoke briefly about his presence here and about his country's reconstruction after years of war.

What does being here mean for you personally, as the African- Asian movement celebrates its 50th anniversary?

For me, there are several good meanings; first, to personally repeat our condolences to the victims of the tsunami, to convey that with the Indonesian people's courage and hard work, they will, God willing, soon recover from the effects of the tsunami.

Second, Afghanistan is a country with very old relations with Indonesia. Indonesian-Afghan relations go way back, more than 40 years or so.

Third, Afghanistan was among the 29 nations that got together in Bandung in 1955 to launch the Asian-African partnership.

Lots of things have happened in the past 50 years. But the principles of Bandung remain as valid as ever. And I hope this get-together will reinvigorate our commitment to the principles set out 50 years ago so that our peoples all over Asia and Africa can benefit from and begin to capitalize on them for a better, more prosperous life.

But for Afghanistan itself, this still seems a long way off. What do you hope to gain here for your country?

Afghanistan has suffered a lot in the past years. Now after 30 years of war and suffering and destruction, it is a sovereign state that is rebuilding itself, one with an elected government. In a few months we will have an elected parliament. We are a state that has now reestablished diplomatic relations with many countries. It is now playing its international role, and for that reason we're also happy to be in Bandung.

Apart from playing an international role at this gathering of African and Asian leaders, what do you hope to bring home to the people of Afghanistan?

For us, it brings a sense of togetherness, among other peoples of Asia and Africa, a sense also of recognition of Afghanistan's recovery from years of war and of reconstruction. It has also been an opportunity to exchange views with other leaders and thank again those who helped us, and we seek broader relations with other nations.

You sound upbeat about the road to reconstruction, even though the world's attention may have waned and Afghanistan is not making front page headlines anymore.

I'm not sure that we want to continue to be on the front page. We would just like to live like other nations, continue to rebuild ourselves, and continue to seek support from the world, for which we are very grateful. But Afghanistan must make its own efforts to build on its own; no nation can build on its own if there is no local element to it. Fortunately, our people are strongly committed, working hard for a good future, and while we seek assistance we recognize that we can only build based on our own efforts.

In what way do you see the role of the "domestic element"?

Right from the beginning three years ago, every deadline for every activity has been fulfilled. We've had the emergency council of people that brought about the transfer of power from then president Burhannudin Rabbani to myself, and that went very well. The loya jirga (tribal grand council) produced the transitional government. Then the constitutional council produced a (new) constitution, a very enlightened one, especially with regard to women. It guarantees 27 percent of seats in parliament for women, it foresees a strong civil society, and the presidential elections last September went exceptionally well. Out of 10 million, 8.3 million participated, and among them 43 percent were women.

The current government has three women ministers, a woman governor, and many deputies. There are now 6 million boys and girls going to school, to university.

National economic growth was 16 percent (2003/2004), before that 29 percent (2002/2003). This year, it's half that as roads and national highways are being rebuilt, so it is moving forward.

In the last presidential elections, we saw how the people still trusted you despite everything. Will the people also have enough trust to vote for leaders at the lower levels in the upcoming parliamentary elections?

The elections will be strongly contended at the district and provincial polls and I'm sure they will be successful. There will not be a danger of serious violence. But, of course, everyone will try to get elected by hook or by crook. The most important thing is to put in place effective mechanisms for security, and to try to ensure the polls are free and fair.

How will you keep people's spirits up?

Spirits are very high; we have very viable systems, such as agriculture. We have enough rain and snow. We are known for dry fruits and the best fruit producers in this part of the world. Afghanistan is the best transit center between Central Asia and South Asia.

As an example, three years ago at the time of the Taliban, trade with Pakistan was less than US$50 million. Last year it was over $1 billion. With China, now overall trade is $300 million.

Where does your optimism spring from?

From the Afghan people and the international community. They have been continuously committed to supporting Afghanistan.