President Traian Basescu smet this afternoon with the President of Afghanistanul, Hamid Karzai.
Traian Basescu: I would like to thank Mr. President Karzai for his positive answer to our invitation to attend the NATO Summit of Bucharest. I would like to tell you that it is the forth meeting I have with Mr. President Karzai. Three of these took place in Afghanistan, on the occasion of visiting the troops, and one, the latest visit, finally in Bucharest. Mr. President, please address the Romanian press.
Hamid Karzai: Mr. President, I would like to thank you for your very kind invitation to attend this Summit, in this very beautiful country, and I would like to reiterate the gratitude of Afghanistan for the help offered by the Romanian troops in a very difficult area of Afghanistan.
Mr. President, I would like to express the greetings and gratitude of the Afghan people, for the help offered in this fight against terrorism, and for helping in the reconstruction of this country. Mr. President, I would like to send my deepest condolences for the losses suffered by the Romanian army in Afghanistan, and please send these condolences to the families of the soldiers.
As regarding the bilateral relations between the two countries, Mr. President, I would like to thank you for the help offered in the form of military equipment, to be more specific, tanks, and the fact that you gave us the chance to train our own forces. Mr. President, Afghanistan thanks you. We will keep your memory alive for the help offered in this difficult moment, and we would like to extend, to enhance the relations between these two countries in a more prosperous future for both.
Thank you, Mr. President, for the invitation to visit your country.
Traian Basescu: During our discussions with Mr. President Karzai, we approached the topic of the future participation of Romania and of NATO in Afghanistan. We both concluded that the mere military intervention is not enough, and is not likely to bring the results expected by the NATO states. The NATO states, the international institutions, such as the World Bank, the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and other donors must get involved in the matter, in order to start building the economic development system, and the institutional development system of Afghanistan, together with the fights of the NATO troops against the Talibans and terrorists. We hope that this NATO Summit will be able to firmly engage in a vision regarding Afghanistan, a vision that should cover the military dimension, the economic one, the social one, as well as the institutional dimension. Otherwise, NATO’s success in Afghanistan will become questionable. I am convinced that the member states of NATO and the partner countries, together with the international institutions, will take the right decision on the occasion of this Summit. I wish to thank Mr. President Karzai, to the Afghan government, to the Afghan authorities, for their determination in supporting the efforts of the NATO member states in order for Afghanistan to become a democratic state, a state participating in the exchange of values in the area of Central Asia, and towards Europe.
To conclude, Mr. President, I would like to re-assure you that Romania is complying with all its commitments in Afghanistan, together with its allies. Thank you very much.
(Source: Rador)
