WASHINGTON (Pajhwok): The US has welcomed launch of Afghan Compact by President Ashraf Ghani, which it said shows his renewed commitment to taking up its share of the burden.
“The development of the compact and its ultimate implementation was an important consideration in the development of the administration’s new South Asia strategy,” the State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters at her daily news conference.
“Today’s announcement demonstrates Afghans’ renewed commitment to taking up its share of the burden. As President Trump has said, the United States remains committed to supporting Afghanistan, as long as they continue to make real reforms, show real progress, and produce real results,” she said.
The Afghan Chief Executive Dr Abdullah Abdullah highlighted the fact earlier this week, when he said that nation building is a job for the Afghans themselves to do and not the United States or other countries. “So we congratulate Afghanistan on that and look forward to any way that we can assist them,” Nauert said.
The compact represents the Afghan Government’s commitment to key reforms aimed at improving security and creating a more peaceful, stable, and prosperous society.
“We have long stressed and supported the Afghan Government’s efforts to fight corruption and improve its governance, and the compact is an important new step in that effort,” she said.
“The implementation of the new commitments, which include benchmarks in four key areas – governance, security, peace and reconciliation, and economics – they carry with them the opportunities to improve the delivery of government services, stem official corruption, and prepare for secure national elections in 2018. The benchmarks are tied to global standards of good governance put forward by the World Bank and other leading institutions,” Nauert said.
Meanwhile the White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said when it comes to the strategy in Afghanistan, they’re going to be focused on the conditions on the ground, which will be determined by the generals in the military on the ground and certainly through the Department of Defense and Defense Secretary James Mattis and his team, and not arbitrary timetables.
However, Sanders said the ultimate goal is a peaceful settlement between the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban that protects US interest and protects American lives. “That’s the focus,” she said in response to a question.
“The President’s strategy is based on conditions on the ground, not arbitrary timetables. And it will ensure terrorists never again use Afghanistan as a haven to attack the United States,” she said.
“The brave men and women of our nation’s military have given extraordinary sacrifices to this longest war in American history,” Sanders said.
Views: 6