Remarks by H.E. Dr. Abdullah Abdullah Chief Executive of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst 5 December 2014 Dear Distinguished Guests, Fellow Cadets and Officers, It’s an honor for me and my colleagues to be here at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, with all of you, in one of the world’s most prestigious military schools. What makes this visit even more significant is the fact that Britain and Afghanistan are partners and friends in a common endeavor to train a new generation of Afghan cadets and officers… and this institution is at the forefront of this critical mission. I visited your sister institution near Kabul a few days and saw first-hand the progress made by our Afghan cadets and officers thanks to the valuable help provided by the United Kingdom. It gives me great pleasure to see a number of young Afghan officers here as well, among the many other cadets from various countries, who benefit from the highest level of training and education. I am certain that their time here will be well spent, helping them to become instructors, mentors, and leaders in the ranks of the Afghan National Security Forces. Cadets, Officers, friends, I join you today, after attending yesterday’s International Conference on Afghanistan in London… a truly landmark event that marked the start of a new era in Afghanistan’s partnership with our international friends. Our delegation has left the Conference convinced that our partnership is as strong as ever before, and confident that we will build on the progress made over the past decade to realize a peaceful, stable and self-reliant Afghanistan. We are grateful to your government’s fantastic hosting and organizing of the conference. We are confident about the future and look forward to consolidating the gains of the past 13 year, while we focus on the way forward to further stabilize Afghanistan, and help it develop. As you are aware, Afghanistan is experiencing three simultaneous transitions since last year. On the political front, the conclusion of the recent electoral process – as complex as it turned out to be - led to the formation of a Government of National Unity. We are confident that our political partnership will provide a strong basis for social cohesion, stability and reform-minded progress. We are in the final stages of putting together a competent and accountable government that reflects our national unity. As we emphasized to our friends in London, we have committed to a comprehensive reform agenda to improve security, combat corruption, and strengthen governance, at the national and sub-national levels. Our commitment to reform will be the hallmark of our efforts in the Transformation Decade. Another important achievement is the completion of the security transition. In June 2011, Afghanistan committed to a process that would eventually see our national security forces assuming full responsibility for the security and defense of our country from international forces, including the UK’s. Today, our national army and police have progressed to the point where they are in charge of all combat operations, and in the lead of the security effort, throughout Afghanistan. But there is more work to be done to secure the country and safeguard normal life for our people so business can flourish, children can go to school and our young can find jobs. We are grateful for new commitments made at the Lisbon, Chicago and Wales NATO Summits by our international partners who pledged long-term support to train, advise, assist and equip our army and police. Starting next month, NATO will transition to “Resolute Support Mission,” planned for the coming years. The new mission will be based on the bilateral security agreement (BSA), the status of forces agreement (SOFA) and other bilateral accords, recently signed with various partners. It is our wish to receive necessary support – a full range of enablers – both in terms of weaponry and air-support, to empower our army and police to effectively address Afghanistan’s security challenges. Ladies and gentlemen, In this connection, I convey our deep appreciation for the invaluable contribution of the United Kingdom since 2001, particularly to the men and women of the British armed forces, who have made an important contribution to Afghan security. In Helmand and Kandahar, you have stood shoulder to shoulder with your fellow Afghan combatants to fight terrorism, improve security and governance, and enable development work to take place. It has been a difficult and, at times, tragic mission. The losses have not been in vain. Together we will remember each and every one of the more than 450 heroes who paid the ultimate price. We also salute their families and those who were injured, wishing them speedy recovery. I want them to know that their sacrifice did make a difference in the lives of a whole nation brutalized by war and terrorism. In the broader context, From Kajaki to Sangin, and in many other localities, you have helped lay the foundation for a brighter future for our citizens, and helped in the global effort to combat terror and safeguard the lives of your own citizens. Dear friends, Yes, we have made important progress – political, social, economic and security-wise – and Afghanistan is no longer a base for international terrorists who threaten your lives and disrupt world peace – as they did prior to 2001 - but we are not done with the overall mission, as demonstrated by violent events unfolding in our greater region. In our case, our people still face violence and real threats. In most cases, civilians endure the brunt of attacks aimed at weakening our resolve and disrupt normalcy. But we are confident that with Afghan forces in the lead, and international commitments made to strengthen their capabilities and bolster our defenses, we will overcome the challenges that face us at this juncture. Meanwhile, we will work to implement a comprehensive peace process with armed factions that are willing to change course, renounce violence and accept the Afghan constitutional framework, including provisions for gender rights. Regrettably, past peace bids did not yield desired results. We now aim to revise our strategy and garner support for a just and durable peace on the basis of a strong consensus. If our peace process is to succeed, we will also need to adopt a regional approach that involves countries who have a stake in stability, prosperity and cooperation with Afghanistan. We will not allow any country or entity to jeopardize our hard-earned gains, dash our people’s hopes and aspirations, and endanger our future. We will expect others to help us put out the fires that burn us, not enflame fires that will hurt us all. Afghanistan’s future stability is interconnected with our long-term economic stability. With the political and security transitions complete, the National Unity Government is keenly focused on our economic transition, to shift from an aid-dependent to a self-reliant economy. Our robust economic agenda will make use of our natural resources potential, focus on creating jobs, increasing revenue and effective service deliver, and attracting private sector investment. Looking forward, we know that the journey before us will not be easy, and that difficult challenges lie ahead. We count on our people and on the commitments made by our international partners, the United Kingdom included, over the next decade to transform Afghanistan into a peaceful, prosperous and self-reliant country. As I said at the end of my remarks yesterday in London, quoting your former statesman, Prime Minister Winston Churchill: “success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is courage to continue that counts.” Thank You!
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 04:59:41 +0000
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