Remarks at Afghanistan Conference First Working Session
Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Bonn Conference Center
Bonn, Germany
December 5, 2011
We’ve
had an excellent series of presentations already this morning, so I
will not, in the interests of time, go over the points that were made by
Your Excellency. But I think it is important to recognize the critical
nature of the next two periods: first between now and the end of 2014,
the transition; and then the decade of transformation that follows.
As
the World Bank has recently projected, Afghanistan will face continuing
budget deficits and economic hardships that will require new sources of
growth and revenue to overcome. And yet, at the same time, many
countries represented here in this hall understand that the
international community also faces fiscal constraints.
So it is
essential that we put together a comprehensive and effective strategy
that maximizes the resources and their use. And that is why we are here
in Bonn, because each of us has responsibilities we must meet if we are
going to be successful.
I very much appreciate the call by the
Afghan Government for mutual accountability between Afghanistan and the
international community. We very much agree, President Karzai, those
must be our watchwords. And the United States is prepared to stand with
the Afghan people for the long haul to support this transition to
sustainable stability and growth, and we recognize that the Afghans
themselves, as the president has said, have commitments that they must
meet, taking difficult decisions to embrace reform, lead in their own
defense, and strengthen an inclusive democracy rooted in the rule of
law. So mutual accountability will be at the heart of the commitments
that we make to one another.
First, on security, that transition
is already underway, and Afghan forces will soon be responsible for
protecting fully half the population. For our part, as coalition combat
forces draw down, the United States and our international partners must
remain committed to training, advising, and assisting Afghan forces,
even as together we continue to go after those who are unwilling to end
the conflict or who are engaging in acts of terrorism. So let there be
no doubt that the transition signals the beginning of a new phase of
international support.
Second, with respect to the economy, the
reforms that the president has outlined are heartening, as was the IMF’s
approval of a new three-year program for Afghanistan in November.
Third,
on the political track, we commend President Karzai for his commitment
to proceed with inclusive and fair presidential elections in 2014. And I
think the international community must continue to provide robust
support to strengthen democratic institutions, including a free press
and a strong electoral process.
The United States is pleased to
announce we will be joining other partners in resuming financial
disbursements to the Afghan Reconstruction Trust Fund so that those
resources can be put to work.
And finally, this process that we
are engaged in, which builds on 10 years of efforts, requires not only
all in the region, all of the neighbors, but the rest of the
international community that has been committed. The entire region has a
stake in Afghanistan’s future and much to lose if the country again
becomes a source of terrorism and instability. And that is why we would,
of course, have benefited from Pakistan’s contribution to this
conference. And to that end, nobody in this hall is more concerned than
the United States is about getting an accurate picture of what occurred
in the recent border incident.
And it’s imperative that we all
support an Afghan-led reconciliation process. It was encouraging that
after the assassination of President Rabbani, the Loya Jirga in Kabul
reaffirmed Afghanistan’s commitment to this.
So the agenda is
ambitious but essential, but we are clearly committed. The United States
intends to stay the course with our friends in Afghanistan. We will be
there with you as you make the hard decisions that are necessary for
your future.
And so, Mr. President, thank you for convening this
conference. It gives us all a chance to take stock of where we are and
determine how we can best go forward in order to support the peace,
prosperity, and democracy of a secure and stable Afghanistan. Thank you
very much. (Applause.)
