Afghan President Says Aid Will Be Used To Build Democracy

President Hamid Karzai (file photo) (epa) 29 January 2006 -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai today promised potential foreign donors that their aid would be used to build democracy in his country.

Karzai spoke at a news conference after meeting with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen ahead of this week's foreign donors' conference in London.


Karzai acknowledged that Afghanistan suffers from corruption and said steady efforts are needed to resolve the problem.


Karzai said that although Afghanistan was making progress, it would need substantial aid for at least five to 10 years. Karzai is on his first visit to Denmark.


Meanwhile seven Afghans and two Pakistanis were arrested today in the southern Afghanistan city of Kandahar.


(AP)

Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah

Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah

Abdullah Abdullah (epa)

Afghan Foreign Minister ABDULLAH ABDULLAH on January 21 spoke by telephone with RFE/RL Afghan Service correspondent Zarif Nazar. Abdullah discussed the most recent videotaped message from Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the current state of the Taliban, terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, and the upcoming London conference on the Afghanistan Compact.

To read the complete interview,click here.