*EPF115 03/17/2003
Text: U.S. Delegation in Brussels to Reaffirm its Commitment to Afghanistan
(U.S. Announces Increased Assistance to Afghanistan) (340)

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher released a statement March 17 announcing that a U.S. delegation is in Brussels to meet with Afghan officials and representatives from other donor countries, in a follow-up meeting to the Afghanistan Development Forum held in Kabul March 13-14.

The statement noted that the U.S. would announce increased assistance to Afghanistan in the coming year, "irrespective of responsibilities the United States must fulfill elsewhere."

Following is the text of the statement issued by the State Department on March 17, 2003.

(begin text)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
March 17, 2003

Statement by Richard Boucher, Spokesman

U.S. Delegation in Brussels to Reaffirm its Commitment to Afghanistan

Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs Alan Larson led a U.S. delegation today in Brussels to meet officials from the government of Afghanistan and other donor nations to review Afghanistan's upcoming budgetary and development needs and to pledge continued assistance. Mr. Larson was joined by Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration Gene Dewey, Under Secretary of Treasury John Taylor, Under Secretary of Defense Dov Zakheim, and U.S. Agency for International Development Deputy Administrator Frederick Schieck. The meeting was a follow-on to the March 13-14 session in Kabul of the Afghanistan Development Forum, where Afghan officials outlined their spending priorities to the international donor community.

Echoing the February 27 Joint Statement issued by President Bush and President Karzai, Mr. Larson underscored the "lasting and ironclad partnership" between the United States and Afghanistan. He reaffirmed that the United States would stay the course in Afghanistan, irrespective of responsibilities the United States must fulfill elsewhere. In this regard, Mr. Larson announced that the United States will significantly increase its assistance to Afghanistan and will provide $820 million in the current fiscal year, 44 percent more than the $569 million provided in Fiscal Year 2002.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

Return to Public File Main Page

Return to Public Table of Contents