Date: Jan 28, 2012
The Prime Minister and President Karzai of Afghanistan have given a
press conference following their meeting at Chequers where they signed
the Enduring Strategic Partnership.
Prime Minister:
Thank you. It’s a pleasure to welcome my friend President Karzai to
the United Kingdom again, and also back here to Chequers. We’ve had
very good discussions this morning about progress in Afghanistan,
progress towards 2014 and 2015, and all that we are doing to try to
help ensure a strong, peaceful, democratic unitary state of
Afghanistan. And the strong relationship between Britain and
Afghanistan is evidenced by the long-term partnership that we’ve just
signed. Obviously Britain has paid a very heavy price fighting the
insurgency in Afghanistan and tragically we’ve lost another soldier
from the Yorkshire regiment recently and my thoughts and the thoughts
of everyone in Britain will be with the family of that soldier for the
loss that they have suffered.
But I do believe in Afghanistan that we are making progress, first of
all on the ground. The level of violent incidents is down across the
country, it’s down very sharply in Helmand Province where Britain has
played such a strong role. The build-up of the Afghan National Army
and Afghan Police Force is very much on target and that is going to be
one of the keys to the future stability and security of Afghanistan.
We also want to have a long-term relationship with Afghanistan long
after our combat troops have come home and that will happen at the end
of 2014. We will have a long-term relationship that will be based on
the friendship of two sovereign nations. That will be a relationship
about diplomacy, about aid, about trade, about investment and about
very strong two-way diplomatic ties and conversations like we’ve been
having today.
I think part of achieving that is not just what we are doing on the
ground in Afghanistan with all the NATO partners, not just the
long-term discussions that we’ve been having but also the need – as
the President and I have often spoken about – for a political process
that ensures that all Afghans, if they give up violence, if they give
up terror, can play a part in a strong Afghan democratic,
constitutional state for the future. That is something that needs to
happen to make sure there’s a strong, successful, stable Afghanistan
for the future, which is in all out interests and that we have been
working towards for so long.
But, Mr President, you’re very welcome here today and I’m delighted
we’ve been able to sign this long-term partnership agreement.
President Karzai:
Thank you very much Mr Prime Minister. As always, a great delight to
be here in the United Kingdom and for you Mr Prime Minister to be
gracious to invite us on a Saturday to Chequers. This is my second
visit and one that I’m always looking forward to repeating in Britain.
Today’s signature of the long-term partnership between Afghanistan and
Britain is one more step, Mr Prime Minister, towards the commitment of
the United Kingdom towards Afghanistan and into the long-term. Mr
Prime Minister, Britain has been Afghanistan’s steadfast friend in the
past 10 years in particular. Rightly, as you referred to, Britain has
sacrificed in terms of blood and treasure in Afghanistan. The Afghan
people appreciate that, respect that and remember that. Built on that
foundation, the signature today of the agreement between us towards
long-term relationship, will take us into a future where Afghanistan
will benefit from the assistance and cooperation and help of Britain
towards becoming a fundamentally strong democratic state free of
terrorism and economically better off.
Mr Prime Minister, through you may I convey to the people of Britain
the gratitude of the Afghan people for all that Britain has offered to
Afghanistan, for having been ready to sacrifice and having been ready
to share Britain’s hard earned tax-payers’ money with Afghanistan for
the betterment of the Afghan life and for a better, more secure region
and in consequence the entire world. Mr Prime Minister, a great
honour to be here today and thank you for being so nice to receive us
here and for the partnership that we just signed.
Thank you ladies, thank you gentlemen
Ambassador