Int. community united & determined on Afghanistan

International community 'united and determined' on Afghanistan

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has praised President Hamid Karzai on the progress his government has made in restoring peace and stability to Afghanistan.

Mr Straw and International Development Secretary Baroness Amos met with President Karzai, discussing the current situation in Afghanistan and Britain's continued support to the Afghan people.

Mr Straw and President Karzai welcomed the international community's efforts to bring stability to Afghanistan.

"Taleban and al-Qaeda remnants may try to frustrate the wishes of the Afghan people and derail the significant progress which the country has made since 2001," said the Foreign Secretary.

"But let us be clear: Britain, our international partners, and the Afghan people themselves are united and determined that this shall not happen. Together we shall ensure a future for Afghanistan that the Afghan people deserve."

The Afghan people will be given the opportunity to contribute to the drafting of the first post-Taliban constitution in December. It will enable them to choose a system of government that reflects their values and aspirations.

Combating drugs trade

The Foreign Secretary said that there were no "overnight solutions" to ridding Afghanistan of the trade in illegal narcotics.

"But the Afghan people need not doubt our commitment to support their efforts to remove a scourge that poisons all our societies," he said.

The UK is the lead nation on counter-narcotics in Afghanistan and has committed £70m over the next three years to support implementation of Afghanistan's National Drug Control Strategy.

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