As I flew into Kabul’s fall was remarkable. I saw a bright, bustling, modernising capital beginning a new working day. 

I was delighted to be back in Afghanistan on my 10th visit, this time as a British Foreign Office Minister. There is a long history of relations between our two countries spanning centuries. At times the relationship has been difficult. But I’m proud to say that our relationship has matured and today we are equal partners.

I had excellent meetings with His Excellency President Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah, Finance Minister Hakimi, acting Defence Minister Stanikzai and Chief of the Army Staff Shah. I was impressed by the Government’s determination and commitment to its reform-agenda, which President Ghani set out at the London Conference on Afghanistan one year ago. These reforms are crucial to delivering economic growth, investment and jobs for Afghanistan’s citizens.

I congratulated President Ghani on the leadership he showed by travelling to Islamabad to attend the Heart of Asia Conference this week. President Ghani returned with strong commitments from the region that Afghanistan would once again be at the heart of Asia. Afghanistan’s interconnectivity with the region through bold visions of railways, roads and pipelines is essential to tap the country’s enormous economic potential to safeguard its citizens’ future.

One potent symbol of this regional interconnectivity is the planned TAPI pipeline. Two days after leaving Afghanistan I met President Ghani again, this time in Turkmenistan, to celebrate the ground breaking of this pipeline. It will eventually connect Central Asia and South Asia and bring greater energy and prosperity to Afghanistan and her neighbours.

Thursday also marked International Human Rights Day. I was glad to celebrate this important day in Kabul, alongside brave human rights’ defenders and activists at our Ambassador’s Residence. It was inspiring to hear from these dedicated individuals about the valuable work they are doing to improve the lives of people across Afghanistan. A vibrant civil society and independent media play a vital role, ensuring citizens are well-informed and holding the government to account.  

Afghanistan has made enormous progress over the last 14 years and Afghans are now deciding their own future. Millions of men and women turned out last year to vote in the Presidential elections, which led to the first ever peaceful political transition in Afghanistan’s history.

There have been positive developments in so many other spheres of life. Under the Taliban, girls were denied the right to an education men and women competing at international level.

But more must be done. Every person, male or female, deserves the right to be healthy, to have an education and to be able to earn a living.

There is still a long way to go. After decades of conflict, the scars run deep. The Afghan people are still threatened by violence and extremism. We are in the early stages of the Transformation Decade, where the Government of Afghanistan takes the lead in ensuring its own development. We want to see the Government of Afghanistan maintaining security and building a viable state that delivers key services and economic growth for its people. 

Afghanistan will not have to make this journey alone. The UK will continue to support the people of Afghanistan to build a more peaceful and prosperous future for their country.  I am delighted that our developmental assistance to Afghanistan exceeded $500m this year and that we are likely to maintain these levels of assistance until at least 2017. I’m proud that through our support we expect to create jobs for over 70,000 Afghan citizens and to provide access to education for up to 180,000 girls in the remotest areas. 

Although our combat role in Afghanistan ended last year, UK armed forces have continued to provide training and support to the ANDSF through the NATO Resolute Support Mission. On 27 October, my Government announced that we would maintain this military commitment of around 450 troops until the end of 2016. Other NATO partners have announced that they are extending their commitments to Afghanistan too.

As an ex-army officer and current military reservist in the British Military, it was a pleasure to visit the Afghan National Army Officer Academy where Afghan instructors are delivering training under the guidance of British mentors, to build the next generation of Afghanistan’s military leaders. This impressive Academy is now able to train over a thousand male and female students every year. It is a tangible demonstration of the UK and Afghanistan working together to ensure that the Afghan military can protect its own country.

My visit has also enabled me to see first-hand the resilience of the Afghan people and hear from proud citizens who are determined to build a brighter future for this great country. We should not underestimate the challenges ahead. But the UK will continue to stand by Afghanistan. I’m looking forward to my next visit to Afghanistan. I’m confident that I’ll see even more remarkable progress when I return and that the bonds of friendship between our two countries will be even stronger.

View expressed in this article are of the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Pajhwok’s editorial policy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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