Thank you very much.
Mr. Chair and honourable members of the Special Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan, thank you for your invitation.
It is a pleasure and a distinct honour for me to appear before this distinguished committee today and to have the opportunity to discuss with you the ongoing situation in my country.
On behalf of my government and the Afghan people, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the committee and to each honourable member for your engagement, your friendship and your support of my country, often in difficult times.
Over the past nine years, Canada has been part of a truly international effort to stabilize and rebuild Afghanistan and help the Afghan people restore their basic rights as human beings and as citizens. Our shared achievements are historical, and we Afghans are proud of them. We are grateful to the international community, and particularly to those countries, including Canada, whose commitment and support to Afghanistan has come at a significant cost in blood and treasure.
Honourable members, we are gradually nearing the end of 2010, which has been a momentous year for Afghanistan. Marked by a number of significant milestones, the year has also been an accurate indicator of the sense of urgency in what has been a rapidly evolving context. The military surge, spearheaded by additional U.S. troops, ordered by President Barack Obama last year, has successfully unfolded in southern Afghanistan. While the success of the surge, measured in terms of sustained security enjoyed by the population and the establishment of a functioning government will take time to materialize, early signs of success are apparent in Helmand, and even in Kandahar, where the surge is currently under way.
In addition, we are optimistic about the refocusing of the war strategy to take into account the regional dimension of the terrorist threat and the existence of sanctuaries on the other side of our southern border. This aspect, in our view, has been the missing link in the conduct of the war, and with this piece of the jigsaw falling into place, hopefully, we can be confident about succeeding in the fight against terrorism in the region as well as the fight against the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan.
You will recall, honourable members, that your visit to Kabul last June coincided with the convening of the landmark peace jirga, organized by the Afghan government to generate consensus across Afghan society for the goal of reconciliation with the Taliban. Earlier, at the London conference of January 2010, the Afghan government had consulted the international community on its strategy for reconciliation and reintegration.
While a consensus, both nationally and among our partners from the international community, seems to have emerged behind the reconciliation agenda, there is still considerable anxiety, honourable members, among Afghans about the price they will be asked to pay to achieve peace. In our view, no reconciliation will be desirable, or possible, if it comes at the cost of compromising our freedom, our rights, and the prospects of a democratic future we are trying to build for our country. It will also be a mistake if some among our partners from the international community use the reconciliation agenda to pave the way for a premature departure of the international forces from Afghanistan.
Honourable members, the Kabul conference of July 2010 was the most important event on our national calendar this year. An important outcome of the Kabul conference was the agreement with regard to the buildup of Afghan security institutions and their gradual takeover of responsibility for security in the country. As we have said many times before, we Afghans are extremely eager to take responsibility for the security and defence of our homeland and to create the conditions for a dignified and victorious return of all international forces to their home countries. However, the extent and timeframe for achieving this goal will depend on the extent of the international community’s contributions to the training, equipping, and building of the capacity of Afghanistan’s security institutions: the Afghan National Army, the Afghan National Police, and the National Directorate of Security.
Another major event on this year's calendar was the parliamentary elections on September 18, which took place in a relatively secure environment despite the pronounced intention by the Taliban to try to disrupt this national process. As of today, the preliminary results have been announced and we are eagerly awaiting the inauguration of our new parliament later this autumn. Evidently, the elections have not been free of challenge, including voting irregularities, but I am pleased to observe that the relevant institutions, the Independent Election Commission and the Electoral Complaints Commission, have dispensed their roles in a robust manner to ensure a just outcome of the election process.
Aside from the positive developments I have enumerated today, and many more that I have not, significant challenges remain, chief among them the challenge of bringing security to the lives of the Afghan people. Judged by the net amount of violence reported from some parts of Afghanistan, mainly in the south, by the level of casualties suffered by Afghans and our international partners, and by the continued support and protection that our terrorist enemies enjoy beyond our borders, the war we are fighting is far from won.
Within Afghanistan our critical institutions will continue to need the help of the international community for a few more years in order to gain the strength and confidence they need. Tackling other challenges, such as corruption and the drug trade, will also require patience and perseverance.
At the regional level we must have a stronger, more determined response from the United States and NATO members to the problem of sanctuaries, as well as sincere cooperation from the Government of Pakistan if we are going to see progress on the war front.
Honourable members, today the key question to ask is not whether Afghans want to and can change our destiny--we do, and we can--but to ask to what extent will the international community persevere with us as we continue on this arduous journey. As Canada ponders the future of its engagement in Afghanistan beyond 2011, this question applies to you more so than to any of our other international partners.
As I have told some of the honourable members individually on multiple occasions before, we Afghans are extremely grateful for Canada's friendship and contribution during some of the most difficult years in the past. We honour and we will never forget the sacrifices of 152 soldiers and four civilians from Canada who have lost their young, promising lives in my country. In our view, for Canada to remain in Afghanistan will not just be an appropriate response to the needs of Afghanistan, but also a fitting tribute to the legacy of those Canadians who have served with honour and distinction in my country over the past years. The nature of Canada' s mission beyond 2011 will be for the Canadian people and their rightful representatives in this august House to decide. Afghanistan needs all it can get from its friends, and Canada is a friend with many capacities and strengths to offer help.
For the time being, security is the topmost important concern for the country. In that context, the training of our national security institutions, particularly the ANP, the Afghan National Police, and the NDS, the National Directorate of Security, and providing them with enablers, including equipment and support, are among our top priorities.
On the civilian side, apart from the investment in the building of democratic institutions--the civil society and the rule of law--we look to engaging Canada's private sector in investing in the enormous wealth in our nation and in our geography that needs to be unlocked.
The bottom line, honourable members, is that Canada has been a friend and partner during our hard times. We would like Canada to be with us during the good times when they inevitably arrive.
Merci beaucoup.