Gov’t Seeks To Gain Renewed International Commitments After 2020

The Afghan government tries to receive global commitments to Afghanistan after the year 2020, finance minister said.

“There will be another summit after 2020, and Afghanistan would urges the international community for sustained support and long-term cooperation,” said Eklil Hakemi, finance minister.

Hakimi noted that the $ 15 billion aid by the international community to Afghanistan was more than expected, but it was made conditional to the fulfilling all commitments by the government.

“Fortunately, we received aids more than we expected which it can provide the financial need of the government until 2020. This is a big achievement for our government,” Hakemi added.

In the meantime, the second deputy speaker of parliament praised global assistances to Afghanistan, and emphasized that the government should make further efforts to gain more assistances.

“We welcome the international aids to Afghanistan, but we are demanding for further efforts to gain aids that Afghanistan can reach to self-sufficiency,” said Nematullah Ghafari, parliament’s second deputy speaker.

But, a number of parliament members have declared that spending aid money will face challenges if the corruption not prevented in the country.

Previously, International donors have pledged $15.2bn (€13.5bn ; £11.9bn) in aid to help Afghanistan until 2020 in the Brussels summit.

Despite such largesse, Afghanistan is required to sign up to a host of political, economic and social reforms in return for the money. Most contentious, the European Union wants Kabul to take back its nationals who are not considered refugees, although EU donor money is not linked to such demands.

The recent diplomatic success of Afghanistan after the Brussels summit was the signing of a peace accord with the Islamic organisation Hezb-i-Islami, led by former premier Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.