On February 25th, 2009, H.E. Ambassador Jawed Ludin was one of the invited keynote speakers at The Swedish Insititute for International Affairs' seminar about the international mission in Afghanistan. Below is a summary of Mr. Ludin’s speech at the seminar in Stockholm called "Beginning of the End or the End of the Beginning":
The Ambassador opened with thanking the Swedish Institute for International Affairs for arranging the seminar, a seminar which symbolizes the truly international effort in Afghanistan. Afghanistan’s interest today is linked in more than one dimension to both Sweden, the rest of Europe, NATO, Canada, and of course the United States.
Afghanistan is connected to these by negative forces like terrorism, drugs and the refugee flow. However, there is also a connection by positives forces. Democracy is one of them, a way of government which is definitely possible in Afghanistan. Another one is development, as the fight against poverty is a global fight. Afghanistan can serve as a bridge between civilizations.
When commenting on the topic of the seminar, Ambassador Ludin stated that this is definitely no the End, or the Beginning of the End. The end is still very distant and difficult, but a very good beginning has been made. Today we have reached a new phase – The End of the Beginning.
Several important achievements have been made in the past years. There has been historical progress in bringing legitimacy to politics through political participation, and political freedoms have been expanded though the development of media and civil society. There has also been significant progress in the fields of economics and reconstruction. Roads have been built, and investments have been made. Health and education have also been focus areas where we can see real positive change.
But of course, major challenges remain, and the way forward is long. Insecurity is a crucial factor and poverty is still a challenge in Afghanistan. It is important to take the regional dimension into account, and also to repair and to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. We must not lose patience, as time is the most important factor. Give us time, the Ambassador said.
What is happening today? On the topic of security there are negative perceptions, but still positive news. There is no major challenge, except in Helmand and some other parts of the South. The major US deployments are useful. It is important to "Afghanise" the security sector and to avoid collateral damages. The elections are set for August 20, but there is a constitutional debate going on in Kabul. However, it is a major step towards democratization. Security is a major issue, but we MUST succeed. Afghanistan welcomes the European Union’s decision to support the elections financially and otherwise, and also welcomes election observers. The political process in Afghanistan is strong and moving forward. Reconciliation is an element of the strategy, and everything is framed by the constitution. The regional challenge is a serious one, and the main challenge is Pakistan. There are currently strong relations with the civilian government of Pakistan, but Afghanistan remains worried. There is great concern over the deals in Swat, Bajaur and Waziristan. The US’ regional approach is helping, and Richard Holbrooke is welcome.
In conclusion, Ambassador Ludin said there are great opportunities in 2009 with the upcoming elections, the renewed commitment of the Obama Administration, the rethinking connected with NATO’s 60th anniversary, the EU’s response, and the still continuing optimism of the Afghan people. But all of these also amount to a great challenge, perhaps the greatest challenge so far. The beginning has been made, and we are definitely entering a new phase. The opportunities that arise have to be taken and used well. Otherwise, nothing guarantees failure more than the repetition of our own mistakes.
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