Afghanistan vital for south-central Asia: Boucher

WASHINGTON: The Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Richard Boucher, has said peace, stability and development is vital for the entire South and Central Asia. We do believe that the development in Afghanistan is vital to these countries and presents a tremendous opportunity," Boucher said during the course of a press conference at the Foreign Press Center in Washington.

The problems of Afghanistan are problems for the region, but the opportunities of Afghanistan are strategic and historic opportunities for the region as well, and we work on it all, he observed. "For Afghanistan to open up - as an open nation, a trading nation, a nation with good relations all around - really presents everybody in the region with a new strategic opportunity," he said.

"Everybody from India, with a potential new source of energy and a place to export to; to Pakistan, which becomes a logical port and hub for a lot of this trade; Afghanistan, which becomes a transit point and contributor to the trade; or Central Asia which, in addition to their ties to Russia, China, Europe, gets to open up another set of export routes and avenues," Boucher said.

At the same time, he conceded problems of Afghanistan would be troublesome for the entire region too. Problems of Afghanistan, the problems of terrorism and narcotics are very much of concern to the countries of Central Asia. "So we’re working with them on how to control the problems, how to deal with terrorism, how to deal with better control of borders, how to deal with narcotics flow, working together at the center that is being organized in Almaty on sharing information on narcotics trafficking so we can stop it better," he said.

Referring to the developments in the region, Boucher said: "There’s enough roads being built by us and Japan and the Asian Development Bank and the Chinese and others that there’s really coming together an Almaty-to-Karachi highway that this bridge is part of. That’s new, that’s different, that’s good, and that’s an opportunity. Customs revenues across that bridge have already increased 10 times since last August across that crossing point. So there’s definitely an opportunity there." Boucher said the US is working with all countries; all the neighboring countries of the North - Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan - to develop electricity lines and supply for Afghanistan, because Afghanistan needs electricity and they can generate it. We’re working with Tajikistan to help bring electricity south to Pakistan, where Pakistan really needs the electricity," he said.

Stating that the Afghan Government is a partner in the US effort in the region, Boucher hoped that 2008 is going to be an year of better co-ordination. We’re beginning to see more concentration of effort particularly at the district level. And the third thing I’d say is Afghan ownership or Afghans in the lead. In a lot of places militarily, you see Afghan forces taking the lead with support from the coalition," he said. "If you look at the governance effort, the new director of local governments in Afghanistan has the central government sending out officials and organizing with the local shura, organizing the ministries to do projects together with the locals. A national solidarity program is that way too. So you see the Afghan government extending itself more and more; the Afghans in the lead on policing now, that when policing are trained - new policemen are trained, they go out in the field, they go out with foreign support and mentors, but essentially they’re taking - they’re trying to reform the policing in the districts that they go to," he said. Boucher said the indicator of stability in Afghanistan is going to be the ability of the Afghan government to deliver opportunity, to deliver justice, to deliver governance and services to the people of Afghanistan in the field. That, I think, is growing steadily and that they’re a lot stronger this year than they were last year. A lot of the ministries are capable. The local governors, the local officials are capable. They’re being supported with money. Their plans are coming forward and being funded," Boucher observed. The Assistant Secretary of State said the recently concluded NATO summit has been a significant meeting for Afghanistan. "in Bucharest where you heard, from the international community, a strong long-term commitment, again broad- based, using all available tools and means to bring stability to Afghanistan," he said. And we’ve had one of the appointments that I think sort of reflects where I’d like to see the effort concentrate this year. And that’s the appointment of Kai Eide as the new special representative for the U.N. secretary-general for Afghanistan," Boucher said. Observing that one of the important efforts this year is to better coordinate all aspects of the effort in Afghanistan, is to improve the coordination and concentrate the effort. "So a real opportunity there, I think, if we can coordinate well, that’s what brings stability. Extending the government, extending the capabilities of the government, into the districts, is what brings real stability in Afghanistan," he said. Appointment of Kai Eide, as a better coordinator for the international community, I think, is also a sign of our intention to coordinate all these efforts, between ISAF, between the UN, between the donors and between the Afghan governments," Boucher said.