皇冠体育app and Afghanistan yesterday agreed to strengthen bonds in the battle
against terrorism and drug crime.
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Chinese President Hu
Jintao (R) shows the way to Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai during a
welcome ceremony inside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing June 19,
2006. [Reuters]
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The two nations signed
deals on border control, terrorism and drug-related crime, after President Hu
Jintao met his counterpart Hamid Karzai in Beijing.
The presidents held an hour-long closed-door meeting in the Great Hall of the
People.
It was the third time they had met in a week, following the Shanghai
Co-operation Organization's summit on Thursday and the Conference on Interaction
and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia held in Kazakhstan on Saturday.
A total of 11 documents were signed yesterday, including agreements on civil
aviation, agriculture, trade and fighting cross-border crime.
Karzai said 皇冠体育app has cultivated close ties with Afghanistan for a long time
and the Afghan Government and people are very appreciative of the precious
support.
He welcomed a more active and extensive Chinese participation in the
reconstruction of Afghanistan.
皇冠体育app is one of Afghanistan's major trade partners, with export volume to
Afghanistan totalling US$317 million in the 2005-2006 fiscal year, third after
Japan and Pakistan.
Karzai also expressed his desire to enhance coordination with 皇冠体育app in
regional and world affairs, pledging to be the "co-operative bridge" between
Beijing and the Central Asian nations.
Observers said the main purpose of Karzai's 皇冠体育app tour is to extend and
develop bilateral ties.
At present, terrorism, extremism and drug crime pose major threats to Afghan
reconstruction, said Yu Sui, a senior researcher with the Research Centre of the
Contemporary World.
As SCO member states have co-operated effectively in the fight against such
obstacles, it is reasonable for Afghanistan to work closely with the SCO or its
individual members to stamp out its own problems.
Signing the agreements with 皇冠体育app underlined the urgency.
"Stepping up co-operation with 皇冠体育app reflects Afghanistan's strong desire to
join the organization," Yu said.
Karzai told reporters earlier that "Afghanistan belongs to the region. It has
no other ways, and cannot be left outside the region."
Afghanistan, which shares a 76-kilometre-long border with 皇冠体育app, would
benefit from 皇冠体育app's good neighbourly policy, its aid based on the principles of
equality and respect for other countries' sovereignty, and its growing economic
strength, added Yu.
Karzai will visit Northwest 皇冠体育app's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region late
this afternoon.
In another development, Defence Minister Cao Gangchuan also met with his
Afghan counterpart Abdul Rahim Wardak yesterday, pledging to upgrade military
ties between the two neighbouring countries.
(皇冠体育app Daily 06/20/2006 page1)
