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Karzai Focuses on Peace at HT Leadership Summit

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Karzai Focuses on Peace at HT Leadership Summit KARZAI IN INDIA Karzai focuses on peace at HT Leadership Summit here is an immediate need to was ignored, repercussions were felt as far focus on the fight against away as in New York and the rest of the extremism –– religious extrem- world. ism and extremism of ideology “Before September 11, Afghanistan did not –– and to put an end to the use matter,” Karzai said, adding, “We did not ofT terrorism as state policy for this region to have anything to buy from anyone or give realise its full potential, said Afghan anything to anyone.” And then came the President Hamid Karzai, addressing the wake-up call from Afghanistan. Hindustan Times Leadership Summit on But things have improved tremendously ‘India the Next Global Superpower?’ in New since the overthrow of the Taliban, the Delhi on November 18. The visionary President said. President has the road for his country He reeled out figures to illustrate his point. mapped and his dream of a new world paint- “Afghanistan’s trade with its neighbours ed in colours of peace and synergy. stands at $2.5 billion; imports from Pakistan “This region has a youthful population, an used to be $25 million, it is worth $1.3 billion educated population, the best growing now.” economies in the world –– China and India,” To a question on the destroyed statues of said Karzai, asking in the same breath, “So Buddha at Bamiyan, Karzai said, “I am not what is preventing us from moving ahead?” able to decide whether something can be Karzai answered that question himself. done to restore them. The originals were “Some of us are using extremism as a neces- carved into the mountain. And that does not sary means of policy,” he said. seem possible now.” Things will begin to improve dramatically, President Hamid Karzai during his address at the When asked if he would agree to speak to Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in New Delhi on the Afghanistan President said, as soon as an November 18. Mullah Omar, the Taliban chief, he said he end is put to both the use of terror as part of was willing to speak to anyone for the sake of the state policy and its tolerance. peace in Afghanistan. In a question-and-answer session follow- The overall thrust of Karzai’s “But people who have committed crimes ing his address, the President was asked address was essentially that against the people of Afghanistan must face about Osama bin Laden and whether he was a court of law,” the Afghan President made it still in Pakistan as he had once believed. He Afghanistan is managing with clear. said: “If he has not run away, he must be in the help of the rest of the “We are willing to speak to the Afghan that region.” world... and that for the Taliban,” the President said, adding, “but not The overall thrust of Karzai’s address was to non-Afghan Taliban.” essentially that Afghanistan is managing with region to prosper, extremism Karzai said he believed that the original the help of the rest of the world –– he calls and terror must be checked Taliban were simple people, who emerged as it “cooperation of civilisations” –– and that and rooted out on priority. a force to reckon with in the country. “But for the region to prosper, extremism and ter- soon, they were being used by a more clever ror must be checked and rooted out on pri- and better-equipped lot.” And these clever ority. because of extremism –– most of it imported people were outsiders, not Afghans, the Afghanistan, he said, suffered a lot from outside –– and because the problem President said. ! Greater Indian investment is sought for Afghanistan fghanistan President Hamid Karzai “We have created an Afghanistan investment his country and give competition to the has urged Indian Inc. to invest in support agency to facilitate faster clearances. national airlines of both countries. A his country and utilise the tremen- “Our country is definitely peaking in busi- Karzai promised to look into Indian indus- dous opportunities in sectors such as ness and there are several opportunities,” he try leaders’ request for visa on arrival for energy, transportation, financial services said, pointing out that Kabul was soon going businessman and tourists and study the pos- and construction, among others. to finalise several projects, including a deal sibility of a better road link between the two “I am here to call for investors to come to for copper mining. countries. Afghanistan,” Karzai said while addressing a Referring to the Tajikistan-Afghanistan- There are around 120 Indian entities meeting organised by leading industry Pakistan pipeline project that India is likely operating in Afghanistan and around chambers in New Delhi on November 18. to join, the President said there was a lot of 2,000 Indians engaged in developmental The Afghan President was accompanied interest in the U.A.E. to join the venture as projects there. The trade between the two by a 75-member delegation. Admitting that well. countries has grown in the last four years there was still a lot of red-tapism and gov- He said there were opportunities for to $200 million, with exports from Kabul ernment control over industry, Karzai said: Indian private airlines to set up operations in accounting for $50 million. ! I N D I A R E V I E W D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 6 4.
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