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Afghan NewsAfghan NewsAfghan News August 2011 Embassy of Afghanistan: Tokyo, Japan

A ceremony was organized at the Independ-ence Minaret to mark the 92nd anniversary of Afghanistan’s Independence Day. The cere-mony was attended by H.E President Hamid Karzai, high-ranking government officials, generals of the armed forces, and ambassadors and members of the diplomatic corps. The ceremony included the laying of a bou-quet of flowers at the foot of the minaret in honor of the martyrs of the war of independ-ence and the playing of the national anthem. After this ceremony President Karzai con-gratulated the people of Afghanistan and ex-pressed the hope that on the blessings of this day and that through the sacrifices of martyrs, there would be lasting peace and prosperity.

H.M. Emperor Akihito sent a congratulatory message to H.E. President Hamid Karzai on the occasion of Afghanistan Independence Day. A number of world leaders also sent similar messages of friendship and congratula-tions.

Inside This Issue:

Latest News Upcoming Events:

Ambassador Fatimie’s message on Afghan National Day as published in the Japan Times Today on Afghan National Day, it is my pleasure on behalf of H.E. President Hamid Karzai, the Government, and the people of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, to con-vey my deepest respects to Their Majesties Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, and the people and Government of Japan. While in a modern sense 2011 marks our 92nd National Day, our nation’s history ex-tends thousands of years further. Similarly, while this year also marks our 81st year of official diplomatic relations with Japan, our first interactions date as far back as the Silk Road era where traded goods and ideas were our first ambassadors. Over time, this link-age of commerce and cultural influence de-veloped into people-to-people contact, deep-rooted friendship, and mutual support.

September 13-15 ROOMS 23 Spring & Summer Fashion Exhibition Yoyogi National Stadium 1st Gymnasium The Embassy will work with young Afghan fashion de-signer Zolaykha Sherzad to display Afghan fashion, tradi-tional, historical, and modern. The Embassy is supported by leading Japanese designer Junko Koshion and Yoriyuki Suzukiand, professor of fash-ion business at Meiji Univer-sity and will be the center display. Buyers and media interested in attending are kindly asked to register at www.roomsroom.com November 5, 6

International Friendship

Festival: SEKAI FUREAI

MATSURI

Green Culture Zone, Showa Memorial Park, Tachikawa, Tokyo The Festival hosts a number of diverse booths from local food to handicrafts, to sport-ing teams, and more. The Afghan Embassy booth will sell Afghan handicrafts, jew-elry, and other items, and will provide activities such as name-writing in Dari lan-guage.

92nd anniversary of Independence Day marked, H.M.

Emperor Akihito offers congratulations

Afghanistan at the OIC Emergency

Summit concerning the ongoing East African famine

Pg. 2

Polio Reduction Rising Exports

Bala Hisar Survey Pg. ３

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Afghan News, November 1010

On the sidelines of the summit H.E. Dr. Rassoul met with his counterparts from Turkey, Tajikistan, and Kazakh-stan. With the Turkish Minister of For-eign Affairs, H.E. Dr. Rassoul ex-changed views on the upcoming re-gional conference on Afghanistan to be held in November in Istanbul. Both sides emphasized the importance of this meeting for Afghanistan, its neighbors, and the region in terms of security and stability. Education reaching more nationwide In Sar-e Pol, the foundations have been laid for a girl’s school in the Poltrab area of the Gosfandi district, a school in Olya village in the Sozma district, and two schools - one for boys and one for girls - in the Sancharak district. Each school, whose construction is

being supported by UNICEF, will con-tain seven classrooms and two admini-stration rooms. A 48-classroom new building for War-gha high school was inaugurated this month in Khost city. The building benefits 500 students and was con-structed with the assistance of the U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT). Private construction companies have signed contracts with the Ministry of Education to build 15 new school buildings in eight provinces including Kabul, Nangarhar, and Ghazni. The 15 buildings will facilitate the education of 8,500 students. The projects are supported by the World Bank and Den-mark. Nationwide development proceeds Japan has began to work with HABI-TAT and the residents of Kabul’s 11th Precinct (Khair Khana) on a number of new projects. The projects will im-prove the local sewage systems, through the adding of concrete, and local greenery, through the planting of flowers on sub-roads. 1,000 people will receive work through these pro-jects. The United States Agency for

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Our relations reached even-greater lev-els of closeness following the 2001 for-mation of the new democratic govern-ment of Afghanistan, as Japan took an active and leading role in support of our development and peace. The number two provider of aid, Japan’s US$3.5 billion in assistance since, US $1.67 billion of this from the 2009 pledge of US$5 billion over 5 years, has fostered positive progress in our political, secu-rity, infrastructure, education, health, and agriculture sectors, among others. These selfless contributions deserve our deepest appreciation and will never be forgotten. Because of our close friendship, the tragedies of March 11th greatly dis-tressed the people of Afghanistan, who view Japanese suffering as the suffering of brothers and sisters. I would like to express my heartfelt condolences, on behalf of all Afghans, to the victims and all who continue to suffer. Considering all Japan has done for our nation, along with our legacy of helping one another, Afghanistan and Afghans considered it our duty to stand together with Japan. Starting only hours after news reached our people, overtures of support began to emerge through financial contribu-tions from the national government and individual officials. Ordinary citizens collected what they could for the drive led by President Fatima Gaillani of the Afghan Red Crescent Society. Afghan children showed a special solidarity, gathering in support and sending draw-ings of encouragement. Afghan nation-als in Japan, along with Embassy offi-cials, in particular reached out to neighbors, collecting donations, bring-ing furnishings to evacuees from Fuku-shima in Ibaraki, and delivering funds to Fukushima city. While these contri-butions were small on a world scale, all Afghans felt honored to help as they could, and through these hardships, our nations’ peoples have grown even closer. In my time in Japan, I have come to know the Japanese as a strong, resilient, and hardworking people. I am certain that the Tohoku region will soon rebuild and strengthen. This nation has proven that it is able to rise from hardship through its past strides in becoming a stable, beautiful nation and an economic and cultural leader. In Afghanistan’s rebuilding and development, we have constantly looked at post-World War II Japan as the ultimate example and role model. Through Japan we have gained the inspiration to replace decades of destruction with progress.

Afghan News, August 2011

To cite a few examples, education is im-proving with 8 million children in schools - 8 times the amount 10 years ago; enrollment in higher education is increasing rapidly; and our adult literacy rate is higher than it was even during the 1970s; we continue to increase the scope and effectiveness of our health sector with over 1,800 active health facilities nationwide and large reductions of infant and under-five mortality rates, as well as maternal mortality ratios; women hold a valued place in society and exercise lead-ership with 28% of parliamentarians and several other key government figures being women; and our freedoms, as evi-dent in our democratic elections and our press, operating without restrictions or limitations, are an example for the region. Having overcome so much, we hope now that our successes can serve as inspiration to the people of Tohoku and Japan. Our nation is truly fortunate to have a strong and deep friendship with Japan. I would like to join in the sentiments of formal Prime Minister Naoto Kan, as he said to H.E. President Karzai last June, by declaring that I am confident that the relationship between our two nations will endure thousands of years more into the future; throughout this we will further support and inspire one another. H.E. Foreign Minister Rassoul attends emergency meeting of the Organiza-tion of the Islamic Conference

The Organization of the Islamic Confer-ence (OIC) held an emergency summit in Istanbul at the initiative of Turkey. H.E. Dr. Zalmai Rassoul, Minister of Foreign Affairs addressed the summit, speaking about the drought and current starvation situation in Somalia. Dr. Zal-mai Rassoul extended his deepest sympa-thies and the support of the people of Afghanistan in what he called one of the most severe humanitarian crises in Soma-lia’s history. The participants of this summit issued a joint statement that called upon all OIC member countries, financial foundations, welfare and charity organizations and individuals to support the Somalians.

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Afghan News, August 2011

International Development (USAID) is also assisting with the building of the new Bibi Sarwary Park in the precinct. This park will take three months to build and will be located next to the Bibi Sar-wary Sangari High School. When fin-ished, it will help to provide a, “green space to filter air pollution and a place for students to enjoy.” A safety wall, side-walks, and solar lighting will also be completed as part of the project, along with other standard features. In Baghlan province this year, nearly 112 development projects have been com-pleted, with the assistance of the Hungar-ian Provincial Reconstruction Team. The projects include setting up vocational courses; constructing 10m of protective walls; building schools, clinics, and 20 bridges; the paving of 3.6km of road; and providing help to vulnerable families. Currently other projects are also being worked upon. Work on two dams in Samangar province was completed this month, providing 600 families in Masjetak and Chahar Tot vil-lages with electricity. In Tanzeal and Charyak villages in the Souzma Qallah district of Sar-i-Pul prov-ince, with the assistance of the World Bank, two irrigation projects as of this month began to irrigate more than 6,500 Jiribs of land and gardens, and provide for the water needs of more than 1,000 families. 50 dams and water canals are currently being worked upon in the area and will be ready for use in the near fu-ture. In Daykondi province, 267km of road have been repaired and graveled during this year, providing employment to 2000 workers.

Majority of regions declared polio-free: UNICEF With the elimination of two types of polio viruses in Afghanistan, not seen in the last 14 months, and as a 34% reduction in polio occurrences in 2011 over 2009, most parts of the country have become polio-free zones. Afghanistan and the international community have been working in con-junction for years towards eliminating the disease. In a letter from Mr Rahhal EL Mak-kaoui, chairman of the World Health Organization (WHO) to H.E. Presi-dent Hamid Karzai commemorating the achievement, the WHO, along with UNICEF, declared that their or-ganizations are committed to continu-ing to work together with the Afghan government towards further progress in the health sector. Pediatrics and Gynecology Hospital inaugurated in Badakhshan A new two-storey, 23-bed building for a Pediatrics and Gynecology hospital in Badakhshan province has been in-augurated. The building was con-structed by the Agha Khan foundation with the assistance of Norway and Development Bank of Germany. Exports increase 61% Exports for the first quarter this year totaled US$135 million, a 61% in-crease over the same period last year (US$52.4 million). The main export items included dry fruits, medical herbs, carpets, animal skins, handi-crafts, precious and semiprecious stones. Dry fruit exports alone showed a 67% increase over the previous year, having exported 9050 tons.

Trade Service Center opened in Kabul

A newly-established center to support traders and promote trade activities has been established in Kabul at the compound of the Trade and Industry Center with financial assistance from United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) Trade and Accession Facilitation for Afghanistan (TAFA) project. The center will pro-vide traders with access to information about local and international markets, trade agreements, and other financial issues, as well as internet access. Daily programs will also be organized to support the traders. The new center, which bears the official name of Ka-bul Trade Service Centre (TSC), is one of the three TSCs under the aus-pice of the Afghan Chamber of Com-merce and Industries (ACCI), the other two being in Jalalabad and Kan-dahar. Contact info:Communications-TSC@acci.org.af. Tel: 0795 250 812

Bala Hisar Fort Reconstruction Survey Begins A reconstruction survey of Bala Hisar Fort in Ghazni province is underway. Upon completion of the survey, a res-toration project will begin with the support of Aachen University of Ger-many. Bala Hisar and Qala Ghaznian were

important centers of the Ghaznavid era, housing the old city of Ghazni and being the location where Shah Shuja held court.

Embassy of Afghanistan in Tokyo 2-2-1 Azabudai, Minato ward, Tokyo, 106-0041 Tel: 03-5574-7611

Fax: 03-5574-0195

Website

www.afghanembassyjp.org

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If you have any comments, questions or suggestions regarding this newsletter or the Embassy, please send an e-mail to the embassy’s Public Affairs Officer, Jason Pratt:

pratt@afghanembassyjp.org