23 December 2002
U.S. Congratulates Afghanistan after One Year of Independence
(Says U.S., international community committed to helping Afghanistan)
(530)
The United States has congratulated Afghanistan on its first year of
freedom marked by "solid achievement," and welcomed the signing of a
declaration of good neighborly relations between Afghanistan and its
six neighbors.
In a press statement released by the State Department December 23,
Deputy Spokesman Philip Reeker said, "the United States and its
international partners remain committed to helping Afghans create a
country that is prosperous, democratic, at peace within itself and
with its neighbors, possessing a free market and respectful of human
rights, especially women's rights."
The statement welcomed the December 22 signing of the Kabul
Declaration on Good Neighborly Relations between Afghanistan and the
six countries that border it -- Iran, Pakistan, China, Tajikistan,
Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.
"Afghanistan's domestic security depends on the cooperation, good will
and non-interference of Afghanistan's neighbors," the statement said.
Following is the text of the statement:
(begin text)
Press Statement
Philip T. Reeker, Deputy Spokesman
Washington, DC
December 23, 2002
Afghanistan's Good Neighborly Relations Declaration Caps One Year of
Solid Achievement
It has been one year since the inauguration of the Afghan government.
Afghanistan has moved steadily forward over this past year. The
initial transitional government gained the consent of the people
through a traditional Afghan institution, the Loya Jirga, in which all
shades of opinion were heard, but loudest was the message of
democracy. Over two million Afghan refugees have returned to
Afghanistan, a dramatic vote of confidence in a better future for
their country. President Karzai has put together a government that now
interacts constructively with the sixty nations of the international
community assisting in Afghanistan s reconstruction. Roads are being
built; schools are now in session. Girls are once again in school and
Afghans are beginning to experience the security that allow for a
normal life. The past year has been a period all Afghans can view with
pride and can look forward to a more prosperous, secure Afghanistan.
Afghanistan's progress toward becoming a full member of the
international community took a further step forward on December 22, as
Afghanistan and six neighboring countries signed the Kabul Declaration
on Good Neighborly Relations -- a pledge to respect Afghanistan's
independence and territorial integrity. The signing ceremony marked
one year since the establishment of a representative Afghan
government, an achievement of the international community and the
Afghans working together.
Afghanistan's domestic security depends on the cooperation, good will
and non-interference of Afghanistan s neighbors. The United States
strongly supports the efforts of the Afghan government under President
Karzai to establish its authority and good governance throughout the
country and to secure commitment of both neighboring states and local
leaders to this goal.
The United States and its international partners remain committed to
helping Afghans create a country that is prosperous, democratic, at
peace within itself and with its neighbors, possessing a free market
and respectful of human rights, especially women's rights. We will
continue to do our part to achieve these goals. As one of
Afghanistan's partners, we congratulate the people of Afghanistan on
their first year of freedom.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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