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Head of UN mission tries to build on aid meet

A senior UN official on Thursday called for Afghanistan's neighbours to work towards mending tense regional relationships so that the conflict-torn country could be rebuilt.

  • Reuters
  • Published: 00:07 July 4, 2008
  • Gulf News

Islamabad: A senior UN official on Thursday called for Afghanistan's neighbours to work towards mending tense regional relationships so that the conflict-torn country could be rebuilt.

Kai Eide, head of the UN mission in Afghanistan, is seeking to expand the world body's role in areas such as regional economic cooperation and cross-border infrastructure.

Eide, on his first visit to Islamabad since his appointment in March, said his priority is to harness the momentum from an international conference in Paris last month when donors pledged more than $20 billion (Dh73.4 billion) in additional aid for Afghanistan. Other areas where regional cooperation is needed include combating Afghanistan's runaway illegal narcotics industry and its raging Taliban-led insurgency, he said.

Positive feedback

Eide said the UN was ready to facilitate "constructive" regional ties and that the reaction of Pakistani leaders in meetings yesterday had been "positive". He wouldn't elaborate on exactly what role the UN could play in improving regional cooperation or what it would like to see from Pakistan. He said rebuilding Afghan institutions, restructuring the economy as well as "bringing the region more closely together" remained priorities.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai accuses Islamabad of secretly aiding insurgents with the goal of installing a pliable government in Kabul. Pakistani officials complain they are getting blamed for the failings of Karzai and his Western backers.

"We are of course concerned with regard to the insurgency and also the fact that this is a regional phenomenon" that also threatens Pakistan, Eide said.

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