Opening statement

Well, I had prepared a long, lengthy speech, but the Secretary Generalsays introductory. That meant, be short. So I'm going to be deviatingfrom my speech and just talk to you.

Mr. SecretaryGeneral, ladies and gentlemen, the NATO Council, it's a tremendouspleasure for me and the Afghan delegation to be meeting with you onceagain after the Istanbul meeting and before that when I had the honourof receiving some of your ladies and gentlemen in Kabul.

Afghanistan has since then made significant progress thanks to yourcontribution to Afghanistan. You came and met with us before thepresidential elections. We had a successful presidential election inwhich the Afghan people participated fully; where more than 8.2 millionpeople voted, of which we're very happy to note over 42 percent werewomen.

The elections for the president, indeed,brought the defeat of terrorism and extremism. It brought the politicaldefeat of terrorism and it drove away from the minds of the Afghanpeople any fear of that kind of a presence.

It alsodemonstrated to the rest of the world that work in Afghanistan hasresults. That work together with Afghan people has results, forAfghanistan and for the rest of the world.

Ladies andgentlemen, what we have today in Afghanistan has not come to us withouta cost to you. You have sent to our country your sons and daughters,who have at times provided security to our people at the cost of theirown lives. Now that's a... there's no sacrifice bigger than that in anysociety, in any part of history. We, the Afghan people, owe oursecurity today, our progress today, the institution-building inAfghanistan today, the economic progress, the relative prosperity, therelative peace and stability that we have today, to the sacrifices yoursons and daughters have made in Afghanistan.

TheAfghan people will not forget that. Today, in Afghanistan, in majorcities, in villages, in towns, if people can go about their daily work,if children can go to school, if women can go to work, if women canparticipate in social, in political, economic activities in thecountry, it's because you are there with us. Without your presence allof this would have not been there in Afghanistan. With your presence wehave what we have today.

So I thank you once again onbehalf of the Afghan people for what you have done for us. And I'llrepeat once again that we will not forget the sacrifices your sons anddaughters have made in our country.

Having said this,having noted the progress that we have made, having noted the stabilitythat we have, having noted the institution-building that we have done,having noted the democratic structures that we have begun, theinstitutionalization of democracy that we have begun, I must say thatthis does not mean that Afghanistan is now all a rosy picture. I mustalso say that with the completion of elections in Afghanistan will comethe end of the Bonn process. That should not lead us to believe thatnow the responsibilities of the international community, of NATO inAfghanistan in particular, are over.

No. By thecompletion of the parliamentary elections in Afghanistan, when theAfghan parliament comes to begin its work, we will only begin adifferent phase of the work that we have in Afghanistan. By that timewe will have laid the foundations of democratic institutions andprosperity and peace in Afghanistan. Then we should begin to build onthose foundations beyond the parliamentary elections.

My request today is that you continue to stay with us after theparliamentary elections. For if you don't do that we will leave thework halfway undone. It will take our country many, many years beforewe can stand on our own feet in real terms; before our security forces,our institutions can be capable of doing things on their own; before wecan practice democracy, and also ensure security; before we can defendour borders.

Till that time, till we reach thatcapability I would request you, on behalf of the Afghan people, to staywith us and as you have given us hope and results, I'm sure by the endof that time, which will mean Afghanistan standing on its own feet, theAfghan people will be a happier lot, and your contribution toAfghanistan will be one of tremendous significance for us, and for theprosperity and peace around the world.

Thank you very much.