[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
[January 28, 2002]
[Pages 127-129]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Joint Statement by President George W. Bush and Chairman Hamid 
Karzai on a New Partnership Between the United 
States and Afghanistan
January 28, 2002

    President Bush and Chairman Karzai commit to build a lasting 
partnership for the 21st century, determined to fight terrorism, and 
ensure security, stability and reconstruction for Afghanistan, and 
foster representative and accountable government for all Afghan women 
and men. We stand together for a new and better future for Afghanistan--
a future free from terror, war, and want. We pledge our respect for the 
culture and traditions of the different peoples of Afghanistan, and for 
the great religion of Islam, which has been tragically distorted and 
misused by the Taliban.
    We reaffirm our commitment to continue to work together to rout out 
the remnants of the Taliban and Al Qaida network. The United States and 
Afghanistan stand united in our determination that Afghanistan will 
never again become a training ground for global terror. We are equally 
determined that Afghanistan's tragic experience--where terrorists were 
allowed to hold an entire nation hostage--will not be repeated or 
replicated anywhere in the world.
    The United States and Afghanistan share the belief that a secure, 
stable Afghanistan, at peace with its neighbors, is critical to 
achieving our shared goals. We agree that a lasting, permanent solution 
for Afghanistan's security needs must be based on strengthening 
Afghanistan's own capacities.
    We agree that the United States will work with Afghanistan's friends 
in the international community to help Afghanistan stand up and train a 
national military and police, as well as address Afghanistan's short-
term security needs, including through demining assistance. We further 
agree to continue to support the mission of the International Security 
Assistance Force (ISAF) to help promote security in Afghanistan. 
Chairman Karzai asked President Bush, on behalf of the Afghan people to 
consider supporting an extension and expansion of the ISAF.
    Recognizing that representative and accountable national government 
is vital for Afghanistan to achieve stability, national reconciliation, 
and reconstruction, we reaffirm our shared determination to support the 
Bonn Agreement for a political transition process in Afghanistan over 
the next two years. Both sides recognize the importance of adhering 
strictly to the agreement's timetable.
    We agree to support collaborative programs to strengthen Afghan 
civic institutions, working through Afghan and American NGOs to build 
and strengthen political

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structures, independent media, human rights protections, labor unions, 
accountability and anti-corruption initiatives.
    We also agree to launch a joint U.S.-Afghanistan Women's Council to 
promote private/public partnerships and mobilize resources to ensure 
women can gain the skills and education deprived them under years of 
Taliban mis-rule.
    The United States and Afghanistan further agree that the Voice of 
America will expand its broadcast of Afghan news throughout Afghanistan 
as VOA and international partners work with Afghanistan to develop its 
own media capacity.
    We both welcome the role of the United States in helping with 
Afghanistan's reconstruction, including the initial American 
contribution of nearly $297 million for Afghanistan's critical 
reconstruction and the transfer of $223 million in previously frozen 
Afghan assets. We affirm our determination to move quickly to help 
Afghanistan create jobs and start rebuilding Afghanistan's agricultural 
sector, its health care and educational systems. Concrete examples of 
programs, in addition to our current humanitarian aid program and 
contributions to large infrastructure projects, that will have immediate 
impact are to:

     print and distribute nearly 10 million textbooks in Dari 
            and Pashtu, focused on math, reading and science, in time 
            for the official start of the Afghan school year in March;
     provide basic training for 4,000 teachers, at least half of 
            whom are women;
     vaccinate 2.2 million Afghan children against measles and 
            set up primary care community health clinics; and
     use $45 million in food-related programs to, in part, 
            promote recovery by providing food directly to teachers and 
            students at school and food to workers at project sites.

    Our joint commitment to the development of Afghanistan's private 
sector will be bolstered by an initial U.S. Overseas Private Investment 
Corporation (OPIC) $50 million line of credit to finance qualified U.S. 
private sector projects. We are pleased to announce that in February 
OPIC, the Export-Import Bank, and the U.S. Trade Development Agency, 
will conduct an investment assessment mission to Afghanistan and that 
the Commerce Department will lead a private sector mission to 
Afghanistan to help identify Afghanistan's investment needs and 
opportunities for U.S. private sector participation in reconstruction. 
We welcome a U.S. Department of Labor initiative to fund job generation 
and training programs for ex-combatants and women.
    Finally, we pledge to enhance understanding between the citizens of 
our two countries by promoting people-to-people exchanges and cultural 
initiatives, including through the Fulbright, International Visitor and 
Humphrey programs, as well as through non-governmental organizations. 
Recognizing that the Taliban destroyed several of Afghanistan's great 
historic statues and cultural sites, we agreed to work together to help 
restore and preserve Afghanistan's heritage.

Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of 
this joint statement.


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