Dr Sheikh Khalid bin Thani Al Thani, Second Deputy Chairman of Qatari Businessmen’s Association, welcomes Afghan President Dr Hamid Karzai.
DOHA: Over 15,000 Nato-led US and allied troops in Afghanistan will continue to remain in five bases in the country even after 2014 troop withdrawal, Afghanistan’s President, Hamid Karzai, said yesterday.
The Afghan government is negotiating with Washington and other 10 Nato members, Karzai told reporters.
Karzai, who was on a two-day visit to Qatar to discuss the Taliban office in Doha, said: “The US and Europe are negotiating with us.
“After 2014, they will stay; they are not leaving. They want at least five bases in different parts of Afghanistan, from the north to the western part of the country.”
The president said that right now there are 150,000 Nato-led troops in Afghanistan, and after 2014, there will be nearly 15,000 of them staying in five stations in the country.
The president was speaking at a meeting hosted by the Qatari Businessmen’s Association (QBA) to attract Qatari investment in the resource- and mineral-rich Afghanistan.
Replying to concerns about the security situation in Afghanistan, the president said:
“The country is very safe and secure. We have the largest investments from India, China and Japan, and over the last 10 years no investment has suffered at all.”
He assured security of investments and said since troops are going to stay in the country even after 2014, there will be no problem of security or instability.
“We are negotiating with the US and Nato. With the US we have our direct negotiations, and with all other 10 countries, Nato is representing them and talking to us.
“So the future of the country is guaranteed. And we have equally good relations with India, China and Russia,” Karzai added.
He highlighted some of the achievements his government has made over the last 10 years by quoting statistics related to economy and human development.
He said the number of school students had risen from 500,000 to 20 million during the last 10 years, and more than 100,000 students had graduated this year to enrol in more than 20 universities.
“Over the last 10 years the country has been witnessing tremendous growth in all sectors of the economy.
“Ten years ago there were no mobile phone users in Afghanistan, but today, we have four mobile phone service providing companies with over 19 million subscribers,” said Karzai.
On the income and output of the country, he said 10 years ago Afghanistan’s gross domestic product was only $2bn, which has now grown to $22bn, taking the per capita income to $1,000.
The meeting was attended by Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, Chairman of QBA, Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah bin Thani Al Thani, member, Dr Sheikh Khalid bin Thani Al Thani, Second Deputy Chairman of QBA, Mohammed bin Ahmed bin Towar Al Kuwari, Vice Chairman of the Chamber of Qatar and other distinguished guests.
The Peninsula
