Afghanistan secures $20bn aid funding
Laura Bush and Afghan foreign minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta
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Friday, 13, Jun 2008 04:17
Afghan president Hamid Karzai has convinced the international community to give his country around $20 billion (£10.2 billion) in aid.
The leader achieved agreements from an international donors' conference in Paris yesterday after having called for $50 billion (£25.7 billion) for reconstruction and to improve his country's economy.
French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner said the amount raised was "beyond our dreams" and the unofficial Afghan target was believed to be as low as $15 billion (£7.7 billion). France's president Nicolas Sarkozy has said his country will "double" its aid.
Britain has pledged £600,000 while the US remains the leading donor, saying it will give Afghanistan $10.2 billion (£5.2 billion).
First lady Laura Bush, wife of US president George Bush, attended the conference and said it was critical the funds would be used to improve the lives of women and children in Afghanistan.
"This conference is our chance to help the people of Afghanistan build the civic and economic institutions that can withstand these forces of oppression," Mrs Bush said.
"We all know that success will not be easy, but Afghanistan has reached a decisive moment for its future. We must not turn our backs on this opportunity."