The Minister made clear just how proud the German government is of the reconstruction workers and troops.
"Our soldiers, diplomats and development aid workers are doing an excellent job here under difficult and dangerous conditions”, said Steinmeier after arriving in Kunduz.
Germany keeps its word on reconstruction
The Foreign Minister pointed to the progress in the country’s reconstruction since the fall of the Taliban in 2001. Girls can go to school again, houses and roads are being built and fields irrigated.
Germany will not allow the Taliban to reverse this progress. "People in Kunduz and elsewhere in Afghanistan are relying on us to stand by them”, said Steinmeier.
The Minister then flew on to Kabul, where he gave Afghan President Hamid Karzai an assurance of Germany’s continued support.
German troops to stay in Afghanistan
Germany’s Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung also spoke today in Germany in favour of the strategy of ‘networked security’, saying it should be extended from northern Afghanistan to cover the entire country.
To gain trust, the troops need to come into contact with the Afghan population. "We cannot simply dig in”, said Jung.
Despite this strategic objective, Bundeswehr troops are under orders only to travel in armoured vehicles. The highest security level is in force on the ground in Kunduz.
Preparations for the G8 Foreign Ministers Meeting
After Afghanistan, Steinmeier will travel on to Pakistan, where he will meet President Musharraf, Prime Minister Aziz and Foreign Minister Kasuri.
The trip is first and foremost part of the preparations for the G8 Foreign Ministers Meeting to be held in Potsdam on 30 May. At the suggestion of the German G8 Presidency, the G8 member states have launched an initiative to promote cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan. To this end, Steinmeier has invited the two countries’ foreign ministers to attend the G8 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Potsdam.
