Sweden promises $1.2b in assistance

AIBAK (Pajhwok): Promising increased aid, Swedish Ambassador and Senior Civilian Representative Jonas Westerlund on Monday said his country would spend $1.2 billion in Afghanistan over the next decade.

He told a press conference in the capital of northern Samangan province that troops from his country with the Provincial Reconstruction) would wrap up their mission in Afghanistan this summer.

He said after the formal withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan, a new mission would be launched and the Swedish government would increase its cooperation with Afghanistan in the new mission.

For the next 10 years, he said, 50 percent of the $1.2 billion aid would be spent directly by the Afghan government.

After 2014, he said, Afghanistan would be the first country to receive such a colossal amount in aid, which would be spent on business, education and economy sectors.   

The envoy also said if the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) was signed between Afghanistan and the United States, his country would keep 50 soldiers in Afghanistan.

mrh/ma

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