2004-4-2
This is Steve Ember with IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.
Nations from around the world agreed this week to give more than
eight-thousand-million dollars in development aid to Afghanistan.
That amount is to be provided during the next three years. The
agreement was announced during a two-day conference in Berlin,
Germany. Delegates from more than fifty nations attended the
meeting.
In this year alone, Afghanistan will get more than
four-thousand-five-hundred-million dollars in aid. The United States
is providing almost half of that amount. Reports say the aid would
help the Afghan government pay wages to its workers, prepare for
national elections and continue rebuilding roads and schools. The
United States also offered an additional
one-hundred-twenty-three-million dollars to fight the illegal drug
trade in Afghanistan.
American Secretary of State Colin Powell attended the conference
in Berlin. He praised the progress made by Afghanistan since an
American-led attack ousted the Taliban government in late
two-thousand one. Mister Powell said that United States forces would
remain in Afghanistan for as long as needed. He urged America's
military allies to provide more troops and military equipment to
fight three threats: the illegal drug trade, private armies and
terrorists.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai thanked other countries at the
conference for their continued support. He said his country is
working to become independent.
Afghanistan is one of the most aid-dependent countries in the
world. Reports say it produces just five-percent of all the money
collected by the Afghan government. Afghan officials have said that
almost twenty-eight-thousand-million dollars is needed during the
next seven years for rebuilding and development.
However, studies show that poor security and a lack of foreign
aid have slowed rebuilding efforts. Private armies and rebel groups
control about one-third of Afghanistan. Most of them are in an area
along the border with Pakistan.
Afghanistan is the world's largest producer of opium from poppy
plants. Opium is used to produce the illegal drug heroin. President
Karzai described Afghanistan's battle against illegal drugs as a
long-term struggle. He said other legal forms of economic activity
must replace the drug trade.
This week, Afghanistan and six other countries agreed to
cooperate in the fight against illegal drugs. The other six are
China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Conference delegates also discussed security concerns in the
months before planned Afghan elections. Officials agreed to send
five more military rebuilding teams to improve security. The
elections are expected in September. They will be the first
democratic elections ever held in Afghanistan.
IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English, was written by Cynthia Kirk.
This is Steve Ember.