July-2012-International

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

US declares Afghanistan as a major non-NATO ally
Washington has declared Afghanistan a major non-NATO ally, a largely symbolic status reinforcing its message to Afghans that they will not be abandoned as the war winds down.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the decision, made by President Barack Obama, during her unannounced visit to Kabul, on July 6, 2012, where she met President Hamid Karzai on the eve of a major donors’ conference in Tokyo.

The status upgrade may help Afghanistan acquire US defence supplies and have greater access to US training as the Afghan army takes more responsibility for the country’s security ahead of the 2014 withdrawal of most NATO combat troops.

Tokyo Meet: The representatives of nearly 70 nations and international organisations, at the Tokyo meeting on July 7, 2012, pledged to give Afghanistan $16 billion for civilian needs over the next four years to prevent instability and chaos that may follow after foreign troops leave that country.

In what is seen as a strong endorsement of India’s initiatives on Afghanistan by the international community, the “Tokyo Declaration” said the participants welcomed the results of the Delhi Investors’ Summit on Afghanistan, underscoring the importance of implementing its recommendations. The participants reaffirmed the significance of risk mitigation and credit provision schemes by the international community in promoting private sector investment in Afghanistan.

India’s Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna reiterated that New Delhi did not visualise its partnership with Afghanistan as condition-based or transitory, nor was it looking to back out of this partnership. However, he stated, while the international community was assisting Afghanistan in attaining its long-cherished goal of self-reliance, it must also acknowledge that despite the successes in embattled nation, the basic ideological, infrastructural, logistical and financial infrastructure of terror was still intact in the region.