G-8, Afghan, Pakistani foreign chiefs pledge work on insurgency

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TRIESTE, Italy, June 27 Kyodo -
Foreign ministers from the Group of Eight nations along with Afghanistan and
Pakistan have pledged to work together to tackle insurgency, corruption and
other regional challenges, saying that stability and development in the region
are linked.
''Insurgency and terrorist activities, narcotics, trafficking, corruption,
human rights violations and limited economic opportunities need to be tackled
with resolve wherever they appear,'' they said in a statement issued during the
three-day G-8 meeting in northern Italy that ended Saturday.
''We, the foreign ministers of Afghanistan, Pakistan and the G-8, affirm our
commitment to working together to address the challenges that affect
Afghanistan and the region,'' they said.
Bringing greater stability to Afghanistan and Pakistan was the central theme
host Italy pushed for this year's G-8 foreign ministerial talks, held in the
northern city of Trieste.
In the statement, the G-8 ministers threw their support behind Pakistan's
offensives against the Taliban in its western region, saying the G-8 supports
the country's ''decisive action'' against extremists.
While acknowledging Afghanistan's efforts to improve its governance, the
ministers lamented that widespread corruption continues to make difficult the
delivery of basic services, such as health care and water.
On Friday, foreign ministers from the G-8, which groups Britain, Canada,
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States, met with Afghan
Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta and their Pakistani counterpart, Shah
Mahmood Qureshi.
Meanwhile, outreach talks on Afghanistan were also held on Friday and Saturday
involving Afghanistan and Pakistan, their neighboring countries, the G-8
nations, and donor countries and international agencies.
During the talks, foreign ministers and other representatives discussed border
controls around Afghanistan, narcotics trafficking in the region and refugees
in Pakistan as well as infrastructure, agriculture and food security in these
countries.
''Afghanistan must be supported and encouraged to enhance the effectiveness of
efforts under way,'' Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini told a press
conference after the talks on Saturday.
Calling attention to the Afghan presidential election in August, he said Italy
and other countries will be sending observers to Afghanistan to ensure that ''a
credible election'' can be held in a secure environment.
Iran was invited to the outreach talks as a crucial neighbor for Afghanistan
and Pakistan because of its long borders with both countries, but amid concerns
over its domestic turmoil following a disputed presidential election this
month, Iran did not respond to Italy's invitation.
''This was certainly a lost opportunity for Iran,'' Frattini said, urging Iran
to demonstrate its will to work constructively with others in areas it must
have a clear interest in, such as narcotics and infrastructure development.
==Kyodo
2009-06-27 23:43:55