News : Strategic new beginning for Afghanistan

Germany and South Asia: The London conference on Afghanistan has agreed on a comprehensive new Afghanistan strategy

Strategic new beginning for Afghanistan

January 29, 2010

The London Afghanistan conference has agreed upon a comprehensive approach towards the development of the country by pledging more civil aid as well as training for the Afghan security apparatus to help the country on its way to take more responsibility for itself. The German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle is very satisfied with the results which he has described as a “changing point".

For Westerwelle, the conference ended with an extraordinary good outcome. Now the process of handing over responsibility to the Afghan people has begun. In 2010 security in certain regions will be transferred to the Afghan forces; in 2011 the gradual withdrawal of German troops can begin. After 2014, Afghanistan will be able to take over security in the country.

According to the closing document in London, security tasks are to be handed over the Afghan security institutions step by step. Additionally, training of the Afghan army and police is to be stepped up. Even Germany has agreed to provide more soldiers for training purposes. Most of these requirements will be met by reorganising German troops already present in Afghanistan. Moreover, 500 additional soldiers will be deployed.

Guido Westerwelle, Germany's Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister makes a statement to the international media during the Afghanistan Conference in London, Britain, 28 January 2010.

Guido Westerwelle, Germany's Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister makes a statement to the international media during the Afghanistan Conference in London, Britain, 28 January 2010.

"I have made it very clear that stability and democratisation are two sides of the same coin", Westerwelle said. Democracy has to be promoted in the country. In particular, he supports the stand of the U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, to have a special focus on women’s rights.

German position accepted

"All the points of the German strategy have found a way into the closing agreement at the conference", Westerwelle said. Germany has greatly contributed to the success of the conference. This is also good news for our citizens.

He also warned that there is no guarantee that the new strategy will succeed. But, to have continued with the old strategy would certainly not have achieved any progress, he said. At the same time he stressed that the commitments made by the international community cannot be a seen as a blank check. The Afghan government will have to reciprocate and stand by its commitments.

The final communiqué underlines that a new phase has begun on the way to complete handover to Afghanistan. The Afghan government should develop its own institutions and resources to be able to better fulfil the needs of its population.

The new German strategy

Before the conference, the German government had prepared a new Afghanistan strategy. The goal of these efforts is better regional security for Germany as a result of the long-term stability in Afghanistan. The strategy involved more civil aid on one hand as well as increased security training to Afghan forces on the other.

The common aim at the conference was also to begin with troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Westerwelle added that “In the next four years we should meet the pre-requisites for a step-by-step withdrawal of our military presence from the country”.

Economic outlook for Taliban defectors

The conference also succeeded in creating a re-integration fund for Taliban fighters who wish to give up their arms. Westerwelle confirmed by saying "We want to give young men who are not ideological or fundamental terrorists a chance to return to Afghan society." We have to build a bridge for these people so that they can build a future without the financial incentive of the Taliban.

Westerwelle reported how the Afghan president Hamid Karzai described the large number of young men that do not fight out of ideological reasons, but for their daily bread and butter. Westerwelle added that "we must win back these people and deprive the hard core terrorists of their support“.

Loyalty to the Afghan constitution should form the basis for re-integration. The re-integration programme essentially consists of a training and employment package. The total fund is still open; however, Germany is willing to contribute 50 million Euros. The programme will be coordinated by the Afghan government and the international community.

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